The Obsession
by Lanse
Summary: Sequel to The Possession: Having failed too many times to protect the one he loves this time he may lose her forever. Kaiba/OC
1. Lingering Shadows

A/N- This is the eagerly awaited sequel to The Possession. If you have not read The Possession, I highly recommend that you do that first because 1) It is a really really good story ::points to chibi fans:: their opinion, not mine. And 2) If you don't read The Possession first I guarantee you will be utterly confused reading this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Seto Kaiba or YuGiOh. But Ari and all OC's are mine.

**Lingering Shadows**

Chapter 1

The warm glow of morning's first light stirred her from her peaceful slumber. A sleepy smile stole across her face and she opened her pale blue eyes to greet the new day. It was going to be a great day and for once she did not linger in the comfort of her bed.

Stretching to her full height of 5'5", Ari Nieche sighed contentedly and glanced around her small apartment bedroom before padding down the hall to the bathroom. The modest accommodations were oddly comforting, especially after having lived within the monstrous confines of the Kaiba mansion for a few weeks. There was something oppressive and lonely about the mansion when Seto was not there to dispel the shadows with his irrefutable strength.

After having her in his clutches for such an extended period of time, the handsome young CEO of Kaiba Corp had been extremely reluctant to let her go. Okay, so reluctant is an understatement. The man had been down right obstinate. Not that she had any true desire to leave his close company either, but necessity demanded it. A woman just could not think straight when those piercing blue eyes were watching her every move. One touch of those impassioned lips and she was putty. Keeping him at arms length demanded a few miles of separation for the sake of her tender heart and the trouble growing within her mind.

Ari stared down into the sink as cold water filled the ceramic basin. _It's not that I don't love him. Heaven knows I love him more than life itself. But, he still scares me sometimes. He's so possessive that I feel I have become just another one of his obsessions placed up on that pedestal with Kaiba Corp and his dueling technology._

Shaking her head, she stooped over the sink and splashed icy water across her face until all signs of weariness were washed away. Drying her face and hands, she paused to inspect the scars crisscrossing over her palms. They had faded to some degree but would forever mar her flesh where the glass had sunk deep enough. She delicately traced a finger across the darkest and longest scar that had a reflective match across the four fingers of the same hand.

_That's the one_, she mused. The visible mark of her love for a man she once hated. It had been a month now since that terrifying day but Ari still could not shake the memories, the screams of a dying man.

Seto hated it when she dwelled on it. He always seemed to be able to tell where her thoughts were turning by the pained expression that would seep into her pale eyes. The man knew her too well and for that she needed to be away from him that she might be able to sort through her own thoughts without him frowning down at her. It may have been easy for him to reconcile to the situation but then, he wasn't the one who killed Matzu Omaka.

Ari shuddered. Killed. There was no other way to describe what she had done. It was **his** face she saw in the darkness of the night, **his** hands she felt roving over her body when Seto touched her, and **his** screams that haunted her in her dreams. How could she ever tell Seto that a dead man had taken possession of her life?

_This is not the time, Ari Nieche! Today is your big day! Today you run the preliminary tests on your holographic enhancement program and test the durability of the fiber-optic prototype you and Kaska created together._

She smiled and turned away from the bathroom to dress. _My big day, father. Maybe things didn't turn out the way you had planned but they turned out for the best. Today I will get to see our dream become a reality._

Most employees of Kaiba Corp adhered to a strict dress code but having the CEO in love with you afforded some leniency. Not that Kaiba had ever demanded her to be anything other than her plain simple self. Lately, Ari had dispensed with any attempt at a business-oriented style. It just didn't fit her anymore. Jeans and a button up sweater had become her trade mark since the weather started to cool, and it never made Seto look at her any differently.

Pausing at her dresser, Ari ran a brush through her thick golden-brown hair before pulling it up into a streaming pony-tail. She usually wore it down for his amusement of course, but today was a day she didn't want the hassle.

Aside from her brush, a tiny box was all else that graced her dresser top. It was made of dark ebony with white lotus flower carvings overlaid in mother-of-pearl. A gift he had given her to keep safe another treasure of hers while she slept. Opening the box, Ari pulled out the gorgeous diamond solitaire pendant and secured it around her throat. The ever-cool diamond settled into her familiar warmth and she suddenly felt as if she could topple the world with her new found confidence.

_Today is my day_, she reminded herself. A sharp rap on her door delivered a subtle blow to that confidence as she realized the day had begun.

"He's early," she murmured as she walked down the short hallway to open the door.

"Morning, Ms Ari."

"Morning, Sojo. I was just about to get—."

The bright-eyed bodyguard held up a small Styrofoam box and a to-go cup. "Breakfast, Ms Ari?" he asked with an amused smile dancing across his usually dark expression. He could be a most formidable man when he chose to, but was far more relaxed and personable when around her.

Ari chuckled. "Am I that predictable? Seto must not want me to meet any delays today."

"Forgive me, Ms Ari, but I am not sure Mr. Kaiba is as familiar with your morning routine as I am. I believe ginger-peach green tea is your preference," he handed her the cup, "and since today is your big day I thought you might like a true breakfast as opposed to a simple pastry."

Ari accepted the box and peaked inside to find that he had stopped at a local diner and ordered a full breakfast to-go for her. Had it been anyone else other than her personal bodyguard and driver, she would have been deeply alarmed.

"Honestly, Sojo, I don't think he pays you enough," she smiled as she set the things aside and shrugged on her coat.

He merely maintained his amicable smile, not caring to tell her that attending to her was one of the more pleasurable aspects of his employment at Kaiba Corp. Ari Nieche was not a woman who permitted power to get to her head. Down to earth and gentle beyond measure, she could be described best as a simple, delicate creature with uncommon fire dormant but powerful. Her spirit drew people to her and it was no surprise that the woman proved to be such a fine match for the formidable and oftentimes ruthless Seto Kaiba.

Sojo had always respected his boss for his fierce determination and zero tolerance for insubordination. For someone so young, Seto Kaiba was an alpha wolf of the corporate world and those who lasted the longest in his employ were in constant awe of the man. Sojo had been with him for almost five years now and had never met another since that he could respect quite as much.

When Ari Nieche appeared on the scene, a whole new dimension took shape within the CEO. It was no secret, his affection for the woman. It seemed to light a fire within him that burned more intensely and at times made him even more intimidating. At the same time the girl was capable of reaching his human side, something only his younger brother seemed able to do before.

If anything happened to Kaiba's blue-eyed treasure, Sojo's head would surely be on the block as it was his full time duty to see that nothing did.

"I'm ready," she announced and pulled her apartment door shut behind her, managing to balance her box breakfast and cup of hot tea perfectly throughout the feat.

Sojo led her down to the car, his observant green eyes taking in the surroundings warily. He opened the passenger door for her and she slid in.

"Nervous?" he asked once they were off driving to Kaiba Corp headquarters.

"A little," she said over a small mouthful. "I've been over the calculations a million times so I am certain there are no flaws in the program. It's the prototype I'm leery of."

"Hasn't Kaiba Corp's technicians been over it several times in preliminary testing?"

"They specialize in hardware, not fiber-optics. It's a whole different science. If the cable isn't durable enough, it could shatter and short-circuit the hardware. There's also the possibility that the information/laser transfer might be faster and stronger than we anticipated."

"And if it is?"

Ari shook her head. "I don't even want to think about the possibility."

Sojo glanced sideways at her thoughtfully. "Is that all that is worrying you, Ms Ari?"

She frowned at the cup in her slender hands, feeling heat more acutely along the length of a certain scar. "It's going to be a good day isn't it, Sojo?" she asked softly.

He reflected her frown. It was disquieting to see her cheerful mood falter. Silently he hoped a certain CEO would be able to effect a quick change to that.

"I believe it will, Ms Ari," he assured her with confidence.

* * *

"You're worried about disappointing him, aren't you?"

Ari looked up from her desk into a pair of blue-violet eyes that demanded honesty.

"Yes," she admitted, "but don't tell him that, okay?"

Mokuba smiled. "You can't disappoint him, Ari. It's just not possible for you."

She returned his smile timidly. "I wish I could believe you but this is something he has been waiting for, for a very long time."

"So are you," the thirteen year old boy pointed out and she blushed slightly. "In any case, I think everything will go just fine. You're a brilliant programmer and if there are any glitches, I know you'll make short work of them."

With that he fairly leaped into her arms and hugged her fiercely. "Don't worry about Seto. He's forgiving of the ones he loves."

Ari buried her face in his thick black hair and sighed. _Maybe he's right. I'm just worrying too much. I've been over-stressed and not sleeping well doesn't help._

"Am I interrupting something," a deep voice resonated across the room to send sensational shivers tip-toeing up her spine.

Mokuba laughed and pulled out of her embrace to face his brother. "I was just wishing Ari luck. She's a little nervous about the preliminary test today."

Seto Kaiba arched a perfect brow over his steel blue eyes. "Nervous?"

Just a few months ago that look would have sent her running for cover, she reflected as she met his steady stare. The ice people were used to seeing gave way to tender affection and she understood why she was so afraid of disappointing him. She loved him so much it hurt. Those perfect youthful features set in stone crowned with a thick mop of cinnamon brown hair that danced across his imperious blue eyes had spelled disaster for her and it had been only a matter of time before her heart embraced the calamity. She needed him more than breath.

"I'm certain everything will work out," he said and won a smile from her. Kaiba stared at her for a moment before turning to his little brother.

"Mokuba."

"Right. I've got an algebra session in ten minutes," the boy grinned. "I'll be done before you run the test, Ari. I promise."

She watched him bounce out the door with her own reflective grin. Mokuba never failed to cheer her when she needed it most. A soft click startled her and she realized Kaiba had closed the door after the boy and they were now alone. It had been a while since she had allowed that to happen, careful to never let him find her in a room by herself. It wasn't something she could explain fully even in her own mind because a part of her demanded his presence. But another part of her, a part that had no right to exist, was afraid.

"You've been avoiding me," he stated and she winced slightly in anticipation of where this conversation was going to go.

"I've been busy," she said as she stood from the desk and emphasized the point by collecting some papers and walking them to her filing cabinet. It wasn't necessary to put the blueprints away but she needed an excuse to not meet his gaze. He had a way of disarming her with a mere glance and now was not the time to have her confidence undermined.

"Sojo said you haven't been sleeping."

"So I've been a little stressed. You're one to talk," she shot back over her shoulder.

He was silent for a moment and she could feel the heat of his gaze on her back. "Have you lost weight again?" he asked.

She slammed the cabinet drawer shut and turned on him. "Are you ever going to let that go? I starved myself once and that was ages ago, for crying out loud!"

His stare never wavered. "Twice," he reminded her. "You have a way of destroying yourself, Ari, whether you mean to or not." His calm even tone washed like cold water over her temper.

"I'm just a little stressed," she sighed. "That's all, I swear."

"Then after today I suggest you take some time off."

Her pale eyes narrowed suspiciously. "That's not really a suggestion, is it."

"No," he admitted and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement and something more.

Ari couldn't help the smile that fought its way to her lips. "Well, I suppose I could start organizing that box I have stashed in the corner of my closet. I doubt anything having to do with electronics is hidden in there."

"You're happy there, are you?" he asked suddenly thoughtful.

With a shrug she stepped past him and fussed over the papers still on her desk. This was another road she didn't want to go down again. "It's home. I like the peace and quiet."

Kaiba frowned at her back. _It's plenty quiet at the mansion. And at least when you're there I don't have to wonder where you are or what you're doing._ That had been the argument of the century. The last thing he wanted was for her to return to her apartment after all that had happened with Matzu Omaka and Omaka Enterprises. But on her side of the argument, she pointed out that all the reasons he had for keeping her there were now gone. Joko Omaka was in prison, his son Matzu dead and the men who had originally attacked her and Mokuba had also been apprehended.

_But I have other reasons. The first thing I want to see in the mornings is your face. The halls are inhumanly silent without your laughter and ever since you moved back to your place, you won't even let me hold you. _She was standing right before him and he felt like she was slipping away. But being the man he was, he had plans to remedy that…for good.

_Why is he so silent?_ She turned to see and realized her mistake as his hands instantly captured her. A sickening shudder tore through her and the warmth in his eyes chilled.

_I touch her and she shudders?_ A part of him wanted to shove her away, this deceitful creature that claimed to love him, but his hands gripped her all the more firmly.

"If Mokuba wished you luck, I should as well," he told her gravely.

The look in his eyes pained her. Her reaction to his touch had been involuntary, her body clinging to the memory of another hateful man who had scarred her_. My body may say otherwise but I still love you!_ She wanted to cry out to him, to ease the insult she knew he felt.

"Please do," she whispered.

He meant to hurt her, even as her reaction had hurt him, but he couldn't. His heart wouldn't let him. So he kissed her honestly, tenderly to lend her the confidence that seemed overflowing within him and to remind her that he was as much hers as she was his.

_This is my Seto_, she consoled herself, accepting the kiss with relish. If ever there was a difference between the dreams and the reality, it was in his kiss. Matzu might haunt her in every man's touch but the kiss of the man she loved and loved her back could not be duplicated nor overshadowed by anything.

"Thank you," she murmured when he pulled away to inspect her expression. Calm had settled over her and she seemed more like her usual self.

"I'm worried about you, Ari," he admitted as he tilted her face up with one strong finger. "You've been so distant."

"I've had a lot on my mind," she said, for it was the truth. But even now she could not tell him she still dwelled on the nightmare of her own creation. She was afraid of what he might do.

After searching her gaze for a moment, he reluctantly let her go and a foreign sense of relief flooded through her. When his kiss did not embrace her soul, the nameless fear did. It was his face she should see in her dreams, not a dead man's. Seto's touch should warm her not scare her. Matzu haunted her in death more than he ever had in life.

_I will take Kaiba's most precious possession beyond redemption,_ he had told her that fateful day.

Ari shuddered again. _I'm losing my mind to this obsession._


	2. The Price of Obsession

A/N- I hope this chapter isn't too confusing. Just try to imagine the episode where Kaiba tested his Obelisk the Tormenter…got the image of that place in your head? Okay, on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO.

The Price of Obsession

Chapter 2

"Deck construction, check. Back up generators at full power. Energy index is reading normal…"

Ari absently listened to the three man crew run through the check list as she stared into the large room below. She was the picture of calm awaiting the go ahead from the technicians she had personally selected to assist her with the test, but inside she was anything but calm.

_If the fiber-optic cable is too weak, the duel disc could short-circuit. If the energy transfer is faster than we anticipated… I have no idea what will happen._ _The theory has never been explored before._

"All systems are a go, Ms Nieche," someone finally told her.

She slipped her headset on and picked up the duel disc. "Okay, I'll head down. But we will wait until Seto arrives before we start the test, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

_This is going to work. I have no reason to be nervous._ The words did little to reassure her. Itchy fingers sought the cool stone at her throat and she smiled. _I'm going to be just fine._

The large holo-duel projector on the opposite side of the massive room seemed non-threatening for the moment. Ari acutely remembered her first encounter with a hologram, the magnificent Blue Eyes White Dragon whose energy wash sucked the breath from her lungs with tremendous force. Today she would be facing holograms of a potentially greater magnitude.

This first test of her hologram enhancement program would prove two things. One, that the revolutionary fiber-optic cable that she and her late father constructed was capable of laser data transfer on a scale never before attempted. And two, the cable and program combined could create solid holograms with the ability to inflict physical damage.

If successful, Kaiba Corp would assert an indestructible hold on the gaming community. Also, a new breed of duelist would rise to the challenge of true power and skill. As for her, she would have the satisfaction of making Seto Kaiba's dream a reality. That was enough for her. After all, what else could she possibly give to the man who had everything?

"What do you think you're doing?" a sharp voice rang in her ear and Ari smiled, lifting her gaze to the observation room above. Even at that distance, his glare had unnerving power as he gazed down at her.

Ari adjusted her headset. "It's about time you got here," she spoke. "I was thinking of starting without you."

Her good humor did little to quell his displeasure. "You are not testing that thing," he snapped and Ari frowned.

"How am I suppose to make adjustments and compensations if I don't know exactly what happens? And how am I to know exactly what happens if I don't experience it for myself?"

"I don't want you to run the prelim test," he was not deterred. "We don't know what to expect on the first run."

"We're running on the lowest power setting possible and we've loaded the system with all low level monsters so I won't get hurt," she promised. "A direct attack will be like a slap on the wrist."

He growled softly and was about to demand that she step down and let him do it when Mokuba suddenly jumped up beside him.

"Hi Ari! I made it just in time, I see!"

"Hi, Moki. We were just waiting for your brother's consent." The look she offered up then made the man swear softly under his breath. It was difficult to tell her no when she looked at him like that, hopeful and beseeching. _She must have learned that from Mokuba_.

"Fine, but we shut down the minute there's a glitch, you got that?"

"Fair enough," she grinned as she raised her arm and launched the holo-projectors from her duel disc. The test holo-duel projector on the far side of the room shifted into place and began to draw its cards as she did likewise.

She wasn't much of a duelist, but Mokuba had been working with her regarding the rules of play. Maybe she didn't know enough to defeat a real duelist, but she knew enough to test the program's abilities.

Having the first move, she set a monster in defense mode and set a trap, ending her turn.

"**Analyzing opponent's move**," an automaton voice spoke as the holo-duel projector spun and selected a card. "**Summon Dragon Zombie in attack mode.**"

Ari took a step back as the creature stepped forth from the void, its ghastly growl rattling her bones.

"**Attack opponent's face down monster**."

"Energy levels still reading normal," a voice announced in her ear as the Dragon Zombie launched its attack. Ari could feel the heated fumes reach out to her, grinning all the while as she activated her face down card.

"I activate the trap Mirror Force and deflect the attack," she announced calmly. Sizzling blue-green energy formed around her and her face down card to reflect the intended attack. The Dragon Zombie burst into pieces and dissipated into white energy.

"**Set one card face down and end turn**," the computer announced.

Ari took a moment to study the field after the brief battle. _Are those burns on the opposite wall? It couldn't be. The hologram isn't capable of that kind of damage with the limits we placed on the energy feed._

"Did you detect an energy surge," she asked into her headset.

"There was a slight power spike as anticipated but all readings have returned to normal."

_So far so good._

"What power spike," she heard Seto demand.

"There's an energy spike during an attack," she explained. "The hologram emits more power just as it would if it were real. That's what you wanted, isn't it?" She looked up at the observation room to find him staring down at her with his usual stone cold expression.

"Everything is still a go, Ms Nieche," one of the technicians advised and she turned her face back to the field.

_I have one monster in defense mode and the computer has a card face down, probably a trap. I'll trigger it to test the effects of a deflection attack._

"I summon Celtic Guardian in attack mode," she stated simply as she laid the card on her disc and it formed itself on the field. "Attack its life points directly," she ordered and the giant elfin warrior leaped to do her bidding.

"**Activate face down card, Trap Hole. Destroys monster summoned to attack mode having excess of 1000 attack points**."

Her warrior sunk into the massive hole that formed in the floor and vanished from sight before it could complete its attack.

"Saw that one coming," she heard Seto murmur and she rolled her eyes.

"How are the readings, Mr. Kazu," she asked.

"Odd," he spoke softly. "When the computer activated the Trap Hole, there seemed to be a deficit in power."

"A deficit," she echoed. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Shall we continue?"

"Less power doesn't present any kind of danger," she stated and glanced up at Seto for confirmation. As he remained silent she turned back to the field.

_But that power has to be going somewhere._ She shook the puzzling thought from her head. "Now we get to see how real a monster attack can be."

"Ari…"

"Have a little faith in me, Seto," she cut him off. "Besides, it can't be any worse than an energy wash. The settings are too low."

He grumbled something she didn't quite catch and she shrugged as she told the computer she ended her turn without making a move.

"**Summon Beta the Magnet Warrior**," the computer announced as the creature formed on the field. "**Attack opponent's face down card**."

Ari felt herself shoved and she tripped as she stumbled back under the force, sitting down hard on the floor. A massive wind scattered pieces of her monster in every direction and her eyes watered as she felt sharp flecks brush across her face.

"Ari!"

"I'm okay," she said quickly. "It just took me by surprise." _That was too real_, she warned herself. _I actually felt my monster break apart, like a glass shattering in my own hand and the pieces blowing back into my face!_ She wiped her hand across her cheek but felt no blood or scratches. It had all been simulated. _Incredible. _The boundary between solid mass and dense energy was so minute.

Kaiba frowned as he stared down at her. "I don't like this," he told her.

"Energy levels are still reading normal, the power spike had been of identical strength to the first attack initiated," Mr. Kazu reported.

"Exactly the same?" Kaiba repeated. "That's not possible."

"You didn't really think the computer would react to it, did you," Ari said as she climbed to her feet. "Seto, I swear this is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. I felt that attack. It was so much more than an energy wash. I don't know how to describe it."

"And so far we have detected no glitches," Kazu added.

"With low level monsters, I'm not surprised," Kaiba murmured. "I guess it's working out just as you planned."

"Don't get ahead of yourself," she laughed. "There's still the direct attack remaining."

"What?"

"Don't worry. The energy readings are stable and it won't do anything more than knock me down. Honestly, Seto, you can't expect me to stop now."

_I've turned her into a monster,_ he realized with slight amusement. "If you make this work, Ari, I promise I will make you the wealthiest woman on the face of the earth," he grinned.

"Why do I get the feeling I should get that in writing?"

"You will."

Ari laughed again, all her anxiety having faded with the realization that both her program and the fiber-optic cable prototype were working flawlessly.

Mokuba glanced from her up to his brother. "You mean you didn't ask her yet?" he asked softly so his voice wouldn't carry to her headset.

Seto smirked. "Tonight."

Mokuba grinned and returned his gaze to the room below.

"I end my turn without making a move," Ari told the computer and watched as it calculated its move.

_This is it. Now I will feel the true impact of a solidified hologram. This is my day._

"**Activate the magic card Monster Reborn to bring Dragon Zombie back to the field**," the dull voice announce

"Uh oh," Ari muttered.

"**Sacrifice Dragon Zombie and…**"

"We're getting a power surge," Mr. Kazu announced.

"But an attack hasn't been ordered," Mokuba stated.

"Ari, you said it was all low level monsters loaded into the system," Kaiba nearly shouted.

"It was," she looked up at him. "I checked the deck myself. There wasn't anything in there that has to be tribute summoned."

"**…Beta the Magnet Warrior to summon…**"

Ari turned her gaze back to the field, her eyes widening as light burst before her and an earth-shattering roar ripped through her body. The ground shook and Ari raised her eyes to stare up at the devastating magnificence of the Blue Eyes White Dragon.

"Dear God," she whispered.

"Energy readings are higher than normal," someone spoke.

"How much higher?" Mokuba demanded even as the control panel sparked and the technician leaped away.

"Shut it down!" Kaiba snapped fiercely.

"Seto," a soft voice called to him and he glanced out the window at the woman below even as the computer called out its attack.

"Ari!"

Blinding white lightening erupted like an exploding star from the dragon's mouth and struck her full force in the chest, slamming her into the back wall and swallowing her in pure energy, her scream sharply cut off into silence.

* * *

"Three broken ribs, fractured collar bone, first degree burns on both arms and a severe concussion," the doctor surmised. "The fractures will heal without trouble as well as the burns. I've noticed from her previous record that she is quite a resilient woman…"

Kaiba's eyes narrowed in angry irritation. "Quit jumping around the subject," he growled and the tiny man startled.

"Well, she suffered a great deal of trauma to the cerebrum." He placed a film on the light box and pointed to three different places on the image. "There doesn't seem to be any bleeding, but there is considerable swelling."

"Meaning?"

"She's comatose, Mr. Kaiba," he admitted. "She could wake up tomorrow, next week or next year. There is no way of knowing."

Seto felt the blood drain from his face as he stared at the man.

"Are you saying there's a possibility she may never wake up?"

The doctor looked at the suddenly pale business tycoon with veiled sympathy. "I'm saying that we don't know. She's a resilient woman, Mr. Kaiba. Hope is not something I would throw out at this point."

Hope was not something Seto Kaiba was used to entertaining.

"This is my fault," he murmured as he cradled her limp hand in his an hour later. Her expression was eerily peaceful in silence. Had she awakened at that moment, he knew she would promptly tell him to stop being an idiot because it was her decision to run the preliminary test personally.

"Just when I feel that I have you, I lose you," he whispered, touching his lips to her slender fingers. "Please don't leave me now. What would I ever do without you?"

Afraid to even consider that road, he dropped his head onto the side of her bed and clutched her hand to his chest, never wanting to let go.

* * *

**Phoenix-Aluzei**- I think Kaiba has a lot to be paranoid about. He feels invincible and is used to getting his way, but when it comes to Ari his whole world is out of control. More than anything he wants to protect her but can't seem to succeed at that.

**Sweetbriar**- Actually Ari does where sundresses (ie- the airplane trip to Honshu she was wearing a yellow sundress) but at this point in time it is November and a bit too chilly for sundresses.


	3. Limbo

A/N- Hi. This is Lanse's cat standing in for Lanse. She is presently in hiding and refuses to come out for fear that she may be clobbered to death with kitchen utensils by her dear fans for her new found love of cliffhangars. However, she did want me to inform you all of the fact that this story will actually prove to be longer than The Possession page-wise but not chapter-wise. She took extra care in making sure that her chapters were longer, none being less than seven pages and some as many as twelve. And she swore on a deck of duel monster cards that she would endeavor to update on a weekly basis. ::hack cough:: Hairball. Sorry.

Disclaimer: Lanse does not own YGO or any characters thereof. The original characters found here are of her own creation and if you borrow them without asking I will personally throw up on your pillow. Meow.

Limbo

Chapter 3

Sojo looked up when he heard footsteps sounding down the hospital's sterile tiled hallway.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kaiba."

"Hi Sojo," Mokuba smiled. "How is she?"

"I'm afraid there has been no change, sir."

Mokuba nodded sadly. "It's been six weeks, Sojo. Do you think she will ever wake up?"

The usually stolid bodyguard stared at the younger Kaiba sympathetically. He knew what the boy was feeling. They were all feeling it. Everyone at Kaiba Corp adored Ari and the accident had rocked the company back on its heals.

It was like someone had reached in and torn the heart from Seto Kaiba's chest. Never had anyone seen him so cold, so shut off from the world around him. He had become obsessed with the investigation, determined to discover what went wrong and heaven help whoever loaded the Blue Eyes White Dragon into the holo-duel system.

Even Mokuba had been avoiding the presence of his brother, apprehensive of the fiercely wretched man he had become.

"I hope so, Mr. Kaiba," Sojo finally spoke.

"Me too." Mokuba glanced up at the closed door next to the bodyguard. "Has he been by?"

Sojo frowned. "Not for a few days, I'm afraid, but then I do share shifts with Yuki. He may have come when I was not here."

The expression on Mokuba's face told the man they shared the same thought. Seto Kaiba had not been in to see Ari Nieche in two weeks.

"I'm going to sit with her for a while," Mokuba said softly as he reached for the door.

Sojo smiled slightly and nodded, returning half his attention to the magazine he had been reading. Usually he sat inside the room, but lately it had become oppressive watching her day in and day out, never waking. Young Mokuba Kaiba seemed to be the only one with the fortitude to remain faithfully by her side.

The room was dimly lit which seemed to lend a softer appearance to her still figure, especially since all of the bandages had been removed. She was merely sleeping…a sleep she may never wake from. Mokuba strode across the room and climbed up onto the bed.

"Hi, Ari," he spoke softly, managing to maintain a semblance of his usual cheer despite the fact that he knew she couldn't say hi back.

"I got a new book at the bookstore," he told her. "It's a science fiction, Orson Scott Card. I'll bring it with me tomorrow and read it to you if you want. I have a feeling you'll like it."

Silence answered him and he dropped his gaze to her limp hand. Gently he curled his fingers around hers.

"It's gotten really cold out but we still haven't had any snow. It's never been so dry this far into the winter before. It's January seventh today, if you were wondering."

He frowned at her hand. "The technicians said the energy transfer through the fiber-optic cable was exceeding their estimates and that's why the blast that struck you was so powerful. Production has been halted until they can figure out how to control it. Seto says that the information and energy your cable is capable of handling surpasses anything he has ever imagined. It will open up new possibilities he never dared to consider before. I think we may be able to create an entire virtual gaming amusement park. Seto's virtual software is pretty amazing. Maybe he'll let you head up the project."

Silence.

Mokuba stroked her fingers thoughtfully. "I don't want to worry you or anything, but I think you should know he's going crazy. I've never seen him so distant before, even when Gozaburo was around. It's like he's dead inside and the only thing he can think about is finding out who put the Blue Eyes in the holo-duel system. I have a bad feeling that if he finds that person, it's going to take an army to keep him from killing them. I swear, Ari, I'm really worried! If you don't wake up soon…"

He sighed and bowed his head. "You have to wake up, Ari. We need you. Seto needs you. You're the only one who can reach him. When you're around, he's, well, he's the real Seto, the one I remember growing up with."

Tears began to stream down his young face and he leaned over to hug her still body. "Please, Ari," he sobbed. "Come back!"

* * *

Kaiba glared at the list of names he had managed to secure of everyone who had access to the lab and holo-duel system immediately prior to the accident. A permanent scowl framed his face ever since and people seemed to scatter like cockroaches when he entered a room. Just as well, cause he would stomp on any who didn't.

There were eight suspects but no one in their right mind would admit to having tampered with the duel system prior to the test. It would be career suicide. It would be suicide, period. The paper crumpled as he tightened his fist and squeezed until his knuckles blanched white.

It had become unbearable sitting beside her, holding her limp hand, staring into her expressionless face. He needed to **do** something. If he could shake her until she woke, he would. Instead he would find the one responsible and shake the life from him instead.

He clenched his teeth in frustration. _What if she never wakes up? I can't lose her now! I've only just found her!_

With effort he uncurled his fingers and smoothed out the crushed paper and glared at the names again. Three stood out, the three technicians who had been in the observation deck during the test. Kazu, Azuma, and Inou. But the others were not above suspicion, since all eight were viewed in the security cameras as having entered the observation deck at one time. Everyone was questionable, even the janitors. He would eliminate no one without complete certainty.

_I'm going to find who did this to you, Ari, and I'm going to make him pay dearly. How many times have I sworn that I would never let anyone hurt you and how many times have I let you down? You've protected me far better than I have ever protected you. You…_ he swallowed hard at the memory he knew still troubled her. _You saved my life. So help me, I'm not going to lose you again._

The phone beeped and his secretary's voice warily interrupted him. "Mr. Kaiba?"

"What," he growled.

"I know you asked not to be disturbed unless it was the hospital or Mr. Sojo."

He felt his blood freeze.

"Your brother is on line one, sir, from the hospital."

Seto snatched up the phone. "Mokuba?"

"Hi, Seto," the voice that reached him was calm and quiet, drenching Kaiba in a chill. _No good news._

"What is it, Mokuba?"

"I was wondering if you could stop by and pick me up on your way home. Sojo's replacement had to call in sick so he can't take me."

Seto sighed and glanced at the clock. Mokuba had gone over to the hospital hours ago. He could just as easily send for a car, but there was a double meaning hidden in Mokuba's request. _It has been awhile since I've seen her._

"Okay, Mokuba. I'll be over in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Seto." The boy's voice was decidedly lighter in cheer.

"Is he coming?" Sojo asked when Mokuba handed the cell back to him.

"Yeah. He didn't sound good though."

"He's been working hard with the investigation," the bodyguard reminded him.

"I know," Mokuba sighed. "I know."

True to his word, Kaiba strode down the hallway less than half an hour after Mokuba had called. The temporary relief found outside the confines of Kaiba Corp headquarters dissipated quickly the moment he entered the hospital. Each step felt as though a knife was being shoved deeper and deeper into his chest as he neared the room.

"Evening, sir," Sojo greeted respectfully.

"Any change?"

"I'm afraid not, sir."

Kaiba nodded grimly and stepped forward. Sojo and Mokuba exchanged glances, but neither followed the man into the darkened room.

The soft click of the door latching seemed to shatter the silence like a gunshot. No change indeed. She lay as she had the day she was checked in, minus the sterile white bandages since her fractures and burns had healed. It had been six weeks since the day, but he still remembered how she had felt in his arms, lifeless.

"Why did this happen to you," he murmured as he stared at her from across the room. "You shouldn't be here."

As always when he stood there, he half expected her to sit up and smile, telling him he worries too much. She didn't. So he closed the distance and sat in the chair pulled close to her bedside. As he did only in her presence, he allowed the exhaustion to show in his face. His shoulders slumped and he sighed wearily.

"I feel so helpless, Ari. I hate this feeling. I hate seeing you like this. I miss you so much." He grasped her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Tell me what to do."

The silence wrenched at his heart and he bowed his head. The mighty CEO of Kaiba Corp was broken inside over a woman he once saw as nothing more than property.

"I should go," he murmured after a moment and glanced up at her, "and take Mokuba home." As he tried to untwine his fingers, hers flinched. His stare froze and waited for a second reaction but none came.

"Don't tease me, Ari," he whispered, his voice hesitant with hope.

A second twitch and Kaiba was out the door. Sojo was startled to his feet by the wild look in his boss's eyes.

"Get the doctor," Kaiba ordered. "I think she's waking up!"

* * *

"You're wearing a hole in the floor, Seto," Mokuba warned and Kaiba paused his pacing long enough to cast a vicious glare on his brother.

Mokuba sighed and continued his own restless fidgeting. It had been two hours since the doctor had arrived to check on Ari's possible awakening and run more tests.

"What do you think they're doing in there," Mokuba murmured anxiously.

"They will want to be certain before they inform you of any changes," Sojo replied as Kaiba continued to pace, suffocating in his own thoughts.

Mokuba fell silent, afraid to say anymore, afraid that it might jinx the reality. What if it was a false alarm? His eyes followed the restless pace of his brother, terrified of what a false alarm would do to the already tormented man.

A creak made them all jump and they turned to face the doctor and nurses exiting Ari's room. The doctor closed the door behind him and lifted his gaze to confront the three waiting.

"Well?" Mokuba broke the silence first.

"She has suffered severe head trauma—"

"We know that already," Kaiba snapped and the doctor's eyes flickered across his face.

"Please let me finish, Mr. Kaiba. The films show that some of the swelling has subsided, but not all of it. The trauma has not been erased from her brain so there is no telling what kind of danger this may pose."

"Are you saying she was only having a muscle response," Kaiba asked.

The doctor stared at him for a moment. "At first, yes."

"What do you mean, 'at first'?"

"Her brain has been notably active in the last few hours, this no doubt contributing to her sudden response to stimulus. It is progressive, Mr. Kaiba. She has awakened."

Seto stared at him wide eyed, struck speechless for the first time in days.

"She's awake?" Mokuba gasped.

"There's no telling of the condition of her conscious thought, but yes, she is awake."

"I want to see her," Kaiba stated and the doctor nodded.

"Of course."

The room was brighter than usual and Ari seemed far more pale in the excess light. Seto and Mokuba quickly crossed to her bedside.

"She doesn't look any different, Seto," Mokuba whispered.

Kaiba clenched his jaw. _What if this isn't real? What if the doctor was wrong? _

"Ari," he spoke softly as he reached for her hand.

Her fingers flinched at his touch and he drew back instinctively. After an agonizing minute, her eyes fluttered open, a paler blue then he had ever seen before. They wandered in sight until she finally focused on the man who leaned above her.

"Ari!" Mokuba exclaimed happily.

Confusion settled over her pale features as she locked eyes with Kaiba. It may have been only in his mind, but he imagined she shrunk from him in that moment even as her words reached his ears.

"Who…who are you?"

* * *

**JadeGoddess**- regarding the energy spike…when a monster is summoned or a magic/trap card used, a certain amount of energy is drawn from the power source. Ari's hologram program requires more energy because the monsters take on more mass so that when one attacks, more energy than normal is used and this is measured in a power spike. It's like the energy level stays at a two but when an attack is made the energy required zips up to an eight. Since the BEWD in itself is an eight star monster, just summoning required more power than normal and since the holo-duel system was only supposed to be fed a specific amount of energy (a safety measure) it resulted in general havoc.


	4. Without

Disclaimer: Obviously I have no claim to the plot or characters of YuGiOh.

Without

Chapter 4

_Fear._ It was the first word that came to her mind when she looked into the pale blue eyes of the woman before her. _Young, plain, and…empty._ Slender fingers traced foreign features in hopes that memory might spark at the touch, but her eyes seemed to know more about the woman in the mirror than her fingers ever would. There was something appealing about her, something pleasant and warm, but the doe-like eyes stared back at her with livid terror.

"Who are you?" she asked the reflection. Finding no answer, she turned away, no longer wanting to stare at the unfamiliar face. It disturbed her to not know the woman with the frightened pale eyes. The nurses called her Ari, but the name didn't quite feel right. Her tongue stumbled over it, unable to make sense of sound or meaning.

_I'm Ari. Ari Nieche. Who is Ari Nieche?_ The questions were always the same, always without answers. Each day since waking was saturated with the same empty terror, the feeling that something or someone was hunting her, but she could not fight the unknown when she was a part of it. She could put only one word to it. Fear.

In her sleep, when she woke, day in and day out, always the same. It was worse when the doctor came to see her. It wasn't something she could explain, but she felt the overwhelming need to escape, for her bed to swallow her before he could take something vitally important to her existence…except she didn't know what it was.

It was there on the tip of her mind, at the forefront of her fear, but there were no words for it. Her panic became so irrepressible that the doctor could not longer attend to her personally. The duty was left to the female nurses and this she was able to sustain. They did not aggravate the fear with their gentle, non-threatening presence. And she decided she could survive this as long as none of **them **entered her room.

There was one just outside the door. She could see him whenever the door opened, always sitting there in a chair just outside her door. He seemed to be waiting for something, always waiting. Only once did he try to talk to her, but her hysterics quickly sent him away and he never tried to enter her sanctum again. She wished he would go away. His mere presence shook her, the bright green eyes that stared into her knowing so much more than she did. _What is he waiting for? Three days and he is still there!_ Like her, he had a name. Sojo. It seemed that everyone and everything had a name, except her fear.

There was a bright brave world outside her third-story window. She longed to be out there, but lacked the courage necessary to even set foot outside her room_. As long as I stay here, I'm safe._ The logic was simple, but even she with a mind absent of memories knew life did not thrive on logic. And her room was no longer safe, not once **he** came.

Hysterics would not send this one away, she knew that by instinct and resorted to putting as much silence and distance between him and her as possible. The handsome face engraved in granite with glacial ice could compel a woman to her knees. It made her want to run, but the frost in that stare chilled her blood until she could not move so much as a finger.

He was furious. How she knew this when his face was so expressionless was just one more thing she could not explain. The others seemed afraid of him too, intimidated by that virile energy she could sense emanating like violent electricity. If the others feared him, she should all the more so.

Those icy eyes bore through her and she felt as though he were tearing apart the layers that made up the woman she was suppose to be, the woman she couldn't seem to remember no matter how hard or long she stared at her reflection. She wanted to know why he stared at her so, as though he knew her intimately. If he did, then why the anger? _What did I do wrong?_

When she rubbed her arms uncomfortably, his gaze followed the action. Finding herself free of his spellbinding stare, she looked away and heard rather than saw him leave. Not one word was spoken, but somehow she knew it was not the last time she would see him. There had been something eerie about the way his eyes had searched her face, his body tense despite his seemingly indifferent demeanor. It was as if it took all the powers that be to prevent him from crossing the room to reach her. She silently thanked the invisible barrier that kept him at bay. There was no telling what a man like him was capable of.

She was soon to find out. The nurse, not the doctor because she still had panic attacks in his presence, had informed her that she was to be released to the custody and care of someone by the name of Seto Kaiba. The name alone sent shivers down her spine. It must have been the way the nurse said it, with reverential awe that usually preceded anything of formidable power. She had been afraid to inquire, but somewhere in her injured brain the philosophy of "knowledge is power" voiced itself and as she had nothing more to rely on, she asked.

They didn't understand her fear, they were merely tolerant of it and obliged her that she might not terrorize herself into a more detrimental condition. When she learned that Seto Kaiba was none other than the blue eyed glacier, they had to give her a sedative.

Knowledge breeds confidence. Knowing who one is, what one is capable of, one's strengths and weakness, values and flaws. She knew none of these.

"Knock, knock," a permanently cheerful voice spoke as the door opened to let one of the nurses inside. Before she closed the door, Ari, _I am Ari_, glimpsed the man still sitting outside as usual.

"All ready, are we?" the nurse asked as she crossed the room to stare down at Ari sitting on the edge of her bed, feet dangling.

"I guess," she spoke softly. The clothes she wore, jeans and a form fitting dark green sweater, fit too perfectly to not have been meant specifically for her. Her coat, she assumed it was hers as it fit like everything else, was draped over the edge of the bed. Those simple things failed to trigger anything within her absent memory.

"Don't fret child," the nurse patted her hand. "You will be in good hands."

The frightened expression that flashed across Ari's face proved her disagreement.

"The doctor ordered this," she smiled as she filled a cup with water and handed Ari two pills. "It will ease your nerves."

Ari stared at the sedatives, knowing what they would do to her and wondering if she should choose not to dull her senses. Her fate was inevitable; her future belonging to the man she feared, for reasons unknown, above all others. A part of her wanted to believe what she had been told, that he would take good care of her having been her employer as the word was. But a woman without a past, with no memories of experience to advise her, was not inclined to believe just anything.

When she reached inside for that essence of fortitude all people were meant to have to compose herself for what she was about to face, she found nothing. There was no strength, no determination, there was nothing. She was empty. So she swallowed the pills.

* * *

_"Psychogenic amnesia?"_

_"She doesn't know where she is or even who she is. Mr. Kaiba, she doesn't even know her own name."_

_Silence._

_"Will her memory ever return?"_

_"We have hopes that as the swelling within her brain subsides, pieces of her memory will be restored. However, we must be reconciled to the possibility that some of it may never come back. The trauma __**was**__ severe, Mr. Kaiba. She's lucky to be alive."_

_"So she __**will**__ regain her memory."_

_"It will take time, Mr. Kaiba, but I believe in her fortitude. She is a strong woman."_

_"Good."_

_"There's more."_

_"You mean it gets worse?"_

_"I'm afraid so. Although her memory evades her, her subconscious seems to cling to an irrational fear which is augmented by her amnesia. It has left her prone to panic attacks and hysteria."_

_"What kind of fear?"_

_Pause._

_"Ari is terrified of men."_

"Seto?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from his desk at his little brother hovering in the doorway.

Mokuba hesitated for a moment before stepping into the home office. "She's here."

Seto nodded and turned back to the files spread out on the desk. An extended silence followed and he forgot that Mokuba had not left.

"She doesn't look well," the boy murmured.

"She was probably sedated," Seto replied absently. "Has the nurse seen her settled?"

"Yes."

"Then it would be best if we let her rest for the time being. She isn't the same person she was before."

Mokuba stared at his brother's preoccupied face. _Neither are you._

Eventually the boy did leave and Kaiba was left undisturbed except by the conversation that kept running through his mind.

_Ari is terrified of men._

That explained the intense fear he had seen in her eyes. At first it enraged him, even as did the moment when she looked upon him without recognition. She was with him, in his home, his custody… but she was no longer his Ari. He didn't know the woman who looked upon him with profound terror. He didn't know her, but he loved her. Would she ever remember that she loved him? It didn't seem possible for a woman who didn't know her own name.

The doctor had recommended a psychologist, the best of the best. Dr. Kim Saruka, amnesiac specialist, would arrive in two days, two very long days. Whatever it took to get Ari back, he would do it.

_I've lost you too many times before. Not again._

* * *

The first feeling of familiarity came the moment she opened her eyes. Dark green silk draped across her vision too high for her fingers to reach.

_I've been here before_, she realized but had nothing more substantial to back up the suspicion other than a gut feeling. The bed was large and luxurious with silver silk sheets and an emerald coverlet detailed in silver embroidery. She felt comfortable and safe, even though she knew nothing of where she was. Not the hospital, that was certain. The nurse had taken her away and that man who was always waiting, the one called Sojo, followed.

They put her into a limo and drove for a long time. From there her memories were murky as the sedatives kicked in full force. There was always a hand clenched in hers, an assurance that her nurse, El Jiura, was still with her.

Stirred by curiosity, Ari pushed the covers away and stood. When her weakened legs remained firm beneath her, she strode across the darkened room to the large window seat. The moon was full and bright and she smiled to be seeing it so close. It lit the world outside and her eyes took in the view of her new location. She was on the second or third floor of a building, a massive building. There were verandas and gardens stretching for a distance. At the end of that distance was a wall she could guess to be at least twenty feet in height.

_Wherever I am, I'm trapped,_ she realized as she stared at that wall. _So where am I?_

She blinked slowly as her focus blurred. The sedatives were not going to release her so soon, so she pushed away from the window and shuffled back to the bed. Crawling back under the covers, she burrowed her face in the fluffy pillows and allowed herself to be taken back into the obscurity where drugs had more power than fear.


	5. Tour Guide to Memory Lane

Disclaimer: I do not own YGO.

Tour Guide to Memory Lane

Chapter 5

He hovered hesitantly in her doorway, uncertain but unwilling to turn away. She warily sized him up, deciding he was harmless since he could be no more than thirteen years old.

"May I come in?" he asked.

She stared at him for a moment, trying to understand why he too triggered a sense of belonging within her, even as the green silk drapery over her bed had. It was not a side-effect of the sedatives since they had worn off halfway into the morning. It was now mid-afternoon and aside from the nurse, this boy was the only human she had yet seen. Of course, she had not even dared to leave her room to search out anyone. Aside from feeling weak from six weeks of bed rest, there was too much of a risk of crossing paths with the blue-eyed glacier as logic dictated this was his home. So she had been spending her day contemplating the strange scars she had discovered on her hands, wondering where they had come from.

"Yes," she said softly and felt strangely pleased when his face brightened at her reply.

"Seto said I shouldn't bother you, but it's been so long since…" he paused not knowing how to finish.

A part of her didn't want to ask the next question. She had a feeling it might offend him, but not knowing would only make things worse.

"What's your name?"

It was well hidden and she decided he must have been forewarned, for there was only the faintest hint of hurt in his expression.

"Mokuba," he replied as he climbed up onto the bed beside her. His marvelous blue-violet eyes fixed her with a thoughtful gaze. It didn't occur to her to wonder what he might be thinking as she studied those strange eyes, swirling with determination and strength no thirteen year old should be capable of. Was he related to the glacier? How could someone so warm be family with someone so cold?

"He told me you don't remember anything," he said and she pulled out of her musings. "I'm just glad you're okay, if… not having a memory is okay…" he faded off again not knowing what to say.

"It's okay, Mokuba," she said softly. "It isn't a taboo subject."

He smiled slightly. "Is it true that you don't remember anything?"

"I remember waking up in the hospital, and the doctors and the nurses…" she drifted off, realizing that her total memories consisted of only a few days.

"I'll help you remember, Ari," Mokuba declared suddenly and she looked up, favoring him with a smile.

"That's kind of you, Mokuba."

He grinned and jumped off the bed. "You just stick by me, Ari," he crowed as he planted his feet and pointed a confident thumb at himself. "I'll make sure you get your memory back!"

For the first time since waking, Ari laughed. "I guess you are my only hope, Mokuba."

She didn't think it possible, but his grin widened even more. "Don't worry, Ari. You're in good hands."

It was impossible not to regard him with amusement. "So how do you intend to help me remember my past?"

His expression turned thoughtful and he pressed a finger to his lips as he considered her question. "I think we should try to jog your memory with familiar things. I'll take you around the mansion, see if you remember anything. Maybe in a couple days Seto will take you to Kaiba Corp."

"Kaiba Corp?"

"Sure! You have an office on the 16th floor."

"Oh," she said simply.

"Don't worry, Ari," he said, gently patting her knee. "It'll all come back eventually, I'm certain of it."

Her first tour proved fruitless. Nothing seemed to provoke the feeling of familiarity throughout the Kaiba mansion other than Mokuba's company. His presence felt like one she would like to indulge in as frequently as possible as it seemed to hold at bay the anxiety she felt in this new place.

"Don't be discouraged, Ari," he offered confidently. "You only stayed here for a few weeks, so it's okay that you don't remember it right away."

"I didn't live here?" she asked confused.

"Only for a little while. Seto had you put in your old bedroom when they brought you home from the hospital. But you have your own apartment just a few blocks from Kaiba Corp headquarters."

"I see. So, why was I staying here, before, I mean."

"You got hurt," he said simply at first and seeing the blank expression on her face he sighed. "I'd hate for this to be the first thing you remember Ari, but I'll tell you. We were attacked, you and me. Some creeps tried to kidnap me and you saved me. Broke a bottle over the jerk's head just like that!" He emphasized the account with a forceful swing of his arm, evident awe over her act of heroism ringing in his voice. Ari could almost see the imaginary bottle shatter over some unsuspecting man's head.

"Then you and I made a break for it, but they were chasing us and you tripped. I wanted to help you, but you told me to keep going so I ran all the way to Kaiba Corp to get Seto. One of the creeps caught you and," sadness seeped into his pretty eyes, "he started knocking you around. If I could 'uv gotten my hands on that guy…"

Fierce anger flashed across his young face and Ari immediately saw the resemblance the boy shared with the glacier.

"Anyway," Mokuba sighed when his anger subsided. "We took you to the hospital, but the doctor said you were only banged up, nothing broken. Seto decided that until he found those thugs, you were going to stay with us so you would be safe."

_He wanted me to be safe? Why would he care?_

"Why were those men after us, Mokuba?"

He frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know, Ari. Seto said they were working for someone else, but he never explained everything to me. He thinks there are some things I shouldn't know about."

Ari nodded, intrigued by the story despite the fact that it did nothing for her blank memory. Why would anyone want to hurt Mokuba? There were a number of reasons for kidnappings, but Seto Kaiba had seemed to think she was in further danger as well.

_This is too confusing_, she thought as she pressed her hands against her temples to still the throbbing that was on the increase.

"Are you okay, Ari?"

"It's just a little headache, Mokuba."

"Probably from trying so hard to remember," he offered. "Well, let's do something else then. We could play a game."

"What kind of game," she asked with interest as she dropped her hands from her head.

The boy grinned. "Take your pick! I've got just about anything you can imagine. But maybe I should start you off with a simple card game."

"Okay," she smiled. "I think I can handle cards."

* * *

Kaiba stared blankly at the pile of mail in his hands, sifting through it without seeing. Finally he set it down on the table and turned his face towards the stairs.

"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba?" a thick accented voice asked and he paused.

"Yes, Rory?"

"Shall I set three plates for dinner, sir?"

He turned then to look at the middle-aged woman who looked as though she belonged on the cover of a cookbook. Of course the entire staff knew Ari had returned to the mansion, but knew little regarding the situation that would follow.

"Ms Nieche will dine alone in her room tonight, Rory," he said softly and she nodded acceptance.

"Very well, sir."

A scowl settled over his features as he turned back to the stairs and ascended quickly to the second floor. He would like nothing more than for things to be as they were before, but he must now shoulder the reality that though Ari had regained consciousness, she was no longer a woman he knew at all. It would be best to avoid contact with her to not aggravate her fears for the time being.

He told himself that was the real reason he didn't want to see her. But a nagging voice of conscience, one the woman had managed to revive within him several months before, reminded him that he loathed to see the fear within her eyes as she looked upon him as a stranger. Had anyone warned him it to be possible, never would he have believed that love could so easily be forgotten, especially by a woman as tender and sincere as Ari Nieche.

Laughter filtered down the hall and his steps froze, his heart leaping as it wasn't meant to do when encased in ice. _That sound, that voice…_

He urged his steps forward until the soft murmur beneath the laughter took shape into voices and words.

"You should have seen him, all covered in mud. All you could see were his eyes just blinking in shock! After that he demanded a reassignment so Seto sent him to one of the subsidiary labs and Washiro became my new bodyguard."

"I suppose it would take a resilient man to keep up with you, Mokuba," Ari replied with a cheered smile. It felt good to laugh and throughout the afternoon Mokuba had regaled her with animated stories of his antics until she forgot that she was nothing more than a blank slate. "I think it's your turn."

"Oh, right!"

Seto peered through the open door at the two sitting on the floor of Ari's bedroom with cards spread out before them in a game of Rummy 500. Nurse Jiura was sitting indifferently in a corner reading a book. As long as Ari was not having a hysterical breakdown, her services were not required.

For the first time in his life, Kaiba felt a sharp pang of jealousy for his brother. It was plain that Ari did not fear the boy. Far from it, he seemed to have the same uplifting effect on her as he had had before she lost her memory. It was almost like she had never forgotten him at all!

The painful anger that swept over him was not eased by the charmed laughter he had missed for so long. She laughed for someone else and this incensed him even more. His fist clenched and the slight motion caught her attention.

Ari stiffened almost instinctively before she even locked eyes with him. The cards in her hand were immediately forgotten, slipping and falling like the dead leaves of autumn.

"Ari?" Mokuba looked up surprised at her suddenly stricken expression. Following her gaze, his eyes brightened when he saw Seto.

"Big brother, you're home! I thought you would be working late!"

"Not tonight," Kaiba said simply, his voice devoid of emotion. His gaze never shifted from her, trapped by those pale eyes.

Mokuba swung his head back to Ari. "Ari, are you okay?" he asked as he reached out to touch her. Suddenly she leaped up and took several steps back.

"Ari?"

"Stay away," she whispered and hurt washed across Mokuba's face. The warning had not been for him, but he felt it all the same.

"Ari it's okay," he said as he stood and took a step towards her.

"NO!" she screamed as she fell to her knees and grabbed her hair, folding in on herself.

Mokuba stared stunned as the Nurse flew between them and wrapped her arms around the woman.

"Shh. It's okay! I'm right here! No one is going to hurt you," El Jiura assured her as she hugged the trembling woman.

Seto watched dispassionately from the doorway, never having moved an inch throughout the moment.

"Mokuba," he called and his little brother turned towards him with wide eyes. "She needs her rest," Kaiba told him and turned away. After a few moments, he heard Mokuba leave the room and close the door on the aching cries.


	6. Glass Cage

**Aoi Dragon** started doing chapter 25 from The Possession (it's the chapter entitled On the Wings of a Dragon with the whole Matzu death scene) in manga style. Check out the link in my profile.

Disclaimer: ::points to fossilized Intel Celeron computer used for writing:: Seriously?

Glass Cage

Chapter 6

"She is not the worst case I have ever seen," Dr. Kim Saruka stated as she sat across from Seto Kaiba's desk in his home office. Her long shapely legs were crossed at the knee, her silvery gray business suit completing her feminine yet business oriented appearance. She was a sharp looking woman with an even sharper mind.

"How so?" Kaiba asked.

"Her phobia seems to be exclusive. Plain and simply put, she is terrified of men. I have had many patients who were terrified of every living breathing thing that crossed their paths, but Ari seems to possess an inherent strength that prevents that kind of chaotic fear."

Kaiba arched his brow at that. From the reactions he had seen her have, the woman's hysterics were about as chaotic as they come.

"You've learned this from spending one hour with her?"

"Talking with her has revealed much, especially since she has no personal memories to speak of. Sometimes a blank slate is easier to work with then a partial amnesiac when it comes to phobias. Her phobic response is involuntary, a subconscious instinct to protect her from a danger she is not capable of recognizing without her memories. Our bodies have memory cells throughout, muscle memory, and this is what induces her reactions. I believe her phobia is in fact her subconscious clinging to a traumatic memory, perhaps one that had been troubling her recently and therefore in the forefront of her memories upon the accident. Mr. Kaiba, has Ari ever been raped?"

_Raped?_ He stared at her for a moment, her words sinking into him as his brain connected the dots. Even before the accident, she would shiver when he touched her, pull away when he tried to get close. His eyes narrowed fiercely. _Matzu Omaka._

"Not…exactly," he replied icily.

"I see," Dr. Saruka nodded, her short brown hair bobbing slightly. "I ask because Ari's reactions are very similar to those of other patients I have treated who have forced themselves to forget a similar traumatic experience. Though she was not raped, the attack is traumatizing enough. Did this by any chance happen recently before her accident?"

"About a month before," he said.

"Yes, then I am certain this is what her subconscious is clinging to."

Kaiba frowned. "Are you saying that she is afraid that every man she meets is going to try to rape and kill her?"

"Not exactly. Because of her total loss of memory, her fears may extend beyond that. I think it is possible that before her loss of memory she had associated the incident with the near-loss of something even more important to her than innocence. And now that she **has** lost something extremely important, in her darkened mind, every man has become a threat to flee from."

He contemplated her words thoughtfully, for the first time seeing into the black world Ari had been plunged into. "What do you suggest I do, then?"

Dr. Saruka unfolded her legs and pulled a day planner from her attaché case. "I will have a session with her every other day, to work with her memory recall and controlling her phobic reactions. Nurse Jiura has been keeping an excellent eye on her. Sedation is the best way of dealing with a hysteric panic attack at the moment, but I hope to help Ari break free of that necessity. You must understand, Mr. Kaiba," she looked up from her planner at him, "I will be treating her with the possibility that she may never regain her memory. While I feel she does have the potential to recover, we must accept the other possibility as well and help her to gain confidence within herself."

"Of course."

She scribbled something in her planner. "It seems your brother has a good rapport with her."

"They were very close," he acknowledged coldly.

"Then I suggest he spend as much time in her company as possible. Anything familiar may spark a memory. As she becomes more stable, it would be well for her to be taken to places of such familiarity, work, home, etc."

"And how do you suggest I do that when I seem to trigger the worst of her panic attacks?" His voice had a sharp edge that even the composed doctor could not ignore.

"It may take some time," she spoke softly, "but she will become accustomed to your presence. Much will depend on how you act around her, but sometimes, just being around her could have a desensitizing effect. If she is used to seeing you and being near you, she may see you as less of a threat and that may open more doors. The key is patience, Mr. Kaiba."

"Patience," he echoed with disdain.

Dr. Saruka smiled. "A virtue for some and a vice for others. I will be back in two days, Mr. Kaiba," she said as she stood. "It may sound hokey, but it is something I tell all of those involved with my patients and I have come to find it makes a difference. Don't lose hope, Mr. Kaiba."

_Hope? That Ari will no longer shrink from me, will remember who she is, will remember that I love her? I wouldn't dare._

* * *

"She seemed nice," Mokuba stated.

Ari shrugged. "I guess. At least she doesn't look at me like I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy, Ari, and I won't let you say that you are," Mokuba stated firmly.

Ari smiled at him and offered no argument. _Of all things, I know I'm not crazy, not yet anyway._

The first time Ari had met Kim Saruka, she had remained generally quiet and allowed El Jiura to do much of the talking. Ari wasn't sure if she used to be the kind of person who had a preconceived idea about Psychologists, but she felt disinclined to talk about her fears with anyone regardless.

When Dr. Saruka returned two days later, Ari permitted herself to be drawn into a conversation about the weather.

"Do you like winter, Ari?"

"It's okay, I guess."

"Some people find it lonely because the nights are long and cold."

"I can see why they feel that way," Ari agreed. There was something chilling and depressing about the bare trees she could see through her window.

The conversation had progressed along those lines for the entire hour and Ari was surprised to find opinions drawn out of her that she never knew she had.

"You are not an empty shell, Ari," Dr. Saruka had told her when their session ended. "You're just a little lost. You'll find your way back soon enough."

After that, Ari decided Kim Saruka was someone who just might be able to help her.

"Teach me a new game, Mokuba," she asked and he smiled in his delightfully cheerful way as he granted her request.

This became her routine. Mokuba was with her always, except for a few hours in the mornings devoted to his studies, but she usually slept late. The sedatives had a lingering effect on her when it was necessary that she take them.

When the elder Kaiba was gone, Mokuba led her about the mansion, talking endlessly about Kaiba Corp and his big brother. None of his stories triggered anything within her mind but she listened attentively in hope, especially when he spoke of his brother. It was evident in his voice that nothing could ever endanger the love he had for his brother, and in a way Ari was envious.

_It must be wonderful to be loved like that_, she thought. The way Mokuba spoke of the glacier made him sound almost human, but Ari had difficulty reconciling what she knew with what she heard. Despite her fear and anxiety, she was fascinated by the man who was said to be her boss, who cared enough to bring her into his home. It was much like the fascination one terrified of snakes might have with a cobra in a glass cage. A deadly obsession, but one she could not shake because she hungered for information about the strikingly handsome man who held her fate in his iron grasp.

Then every other day, Dr Saruka came and they talked about what she had been doing with her time. Kim encouraged her explorations outside of her room, even to venture outside of the mansion into the gardens, but Ari was still quite fearful of that. She had quickly discovered that besides the household staff, which seemed to all be women, there were numerous security guards on the estate as well. One was the bright-eyed man she remembered from the hospital, Sojo. He would watch her warily from a distance, but he never came near. None of them did. They knew better.

Knowing there were men around made her uneasy, but she took comfort in Mokuba's presence realizing that his word had as much power as the elder Kaiba and none would come near her as long as she stayed with him.

For two weeks this became her routine: sleep late, tour the mansion, play games. It was something she could live with, especially since she had the ever-amiable Mokuba Kaiba to spend her time with. It was calming and at times in laughter she forgot that she had forgotten. Then the request came.

No, not a request. It was definitely a command.

"Maybe I should give you a sedative," El Jiura stated as she studied Ari's anxious face.

"So I can fall asleep into my plate?" Ari asked and offered a timid little laugh that shredded itself apart.

"I don't like this at all," El returned. "But he did say that you were to dine with the family tonight and it isn't wise to oppose him. Mokuba will be there of course. Perhaps you can sit with him?"

_Mokuba, yes he will be there. He is the only thing about this place that feels certain. I would be lost without him. But still… I don't want to be near that man! He'll…he'll… _Ari was startled by the sharp truth that she didn't know what she feared.

_If I refuse, will he come for me himself? Kim said I should endeavor to widen my experiences, try and face my fears instead of running from them…_

"Will you come with me, El?"

The young nurse nodded her head emphatically. "For certain! Your welfare is my duty to protect, Ari."

Ari took a deep steady breath and grabbed the woman's hand. "Okay. I'm ready."

El Jiura offered a sympathetic smile and led her out of the room. Anyone in their right mind would be anxious in Seto Kaiba's presence, but poor Ari had no confidence of her own to protect her from this encounter.

He didn't look up. It took all of his strength and will to keep his eyes on the newspaper he clutched in his hands when he wanted nothing more than to swallow her with his eyes. Dr. Saruka's words were the basis of his resolve. Just **be** there. He knew a single glance would send her running back into her room and so much farther from him. So he pretended that she was not even there.

"Hi, Ari!" Mokuba chimed cheerfully as the woman stepped nervously into the dinning room.

It was far from ostentatious. For being a rich man, Seto Kaiba was not pretentious in the least when it came to his home. The table was large enough to seat ten when a far more elaborate table would have filled the room just as nicely. The glacier sat at the head with Mokuba three places to his right. Ari wondered over the distance between them when she realized that her plate was immediately across from Mokuba's, three places to Kaiba's left. Relief washed through her as she saw she would not have to sit beside the man.

El led her to her seat and Ari offered a timidly brave smile to Mokuba.

"I'm glad you could come down, Ari," Mokuba stated with unwavering cheer. "It must get lonely eating by yourself all the time."

"I-I don't mind," Ari spoke softly. She stiffened when she heard the sound of paper shuffling, but a sidelong glance told her Kaiba had merely turned the page and still had not once cast those powerfully unnerving eyes in her direction.

Ari wanted nothing more than to bolt, but both Mokuba's and El's presence acted like a barrier preventing her escape and as Mokuba began to prattle on in his youthful enthusiasm, ignoring his brother as much as he ignored them, she found her anxiety easing ever so slightly.

Never did she forget the man sitting just three seats away from her as she timidly answered Mokuba's questions and tried to pay attention to his conversation. The boy's entire focus was on her as if he could not even see his brother sitting silently at the end of the table.

She only picked at her food, her anxiety having demolished any appetite she might have had, but she kept her seat and not once looked towards the door. A soft thump startled her and she was nearly half out of her seat when she turned her glance in the direction of the sound.

Kaiba pushed his chair back and with paper in hand strode out of the room without a word or a glance for either dinner companion. Ari stared after him for a moment and then looked back at Mokuba who favored her with the widest of his grins. It was then she realized she had passed some kind of a test and seeing the pride in Mokuba's blue-violet eyes brought a smile to her own face and a lift to her heart.

_Maybe Kim is right. Maybe I can overcome these fears after all._

* * *

Kaiba stood listless just outside the doorway of the dining room, listening to the conversation that continued after an uneasy moment of silence caused by his departure. Throughout the dinner, Mokuba had carried the extent of the discussion, keeping Ari's focus on him rather than the somber figure at the head of the table. It had been planned on in advance.

Mokuba as usual had been more than enthusiastic about helping. Having seen Ari's panic attack the last time Seto had been near her had pained the boy considerably and made him realize why his big brother had become so withdrawn. Mokuba knew nothing of Seto's jealousy, but it mattered not. The fact that they had been able to stay in the same room together for half an hour had been ground breaking.

Now that he had left, the lilt in Ari's voice told him she was once again at ease. Belated laughter shattered his heart and bleeding within, he returned to his office to lose himself in his work.

* * *

**kikoken**- some would assume that Ari wouldn't be afraid of Kaiba but do recall that 1) she never was a very trusting person to begin with, 2) She and Kaiba didn't exactly get off on the right foot the very first time they met nor did they have a whirlwind romance, and of course 3) Kaiba is the world's most intimidating man.


	7. Routines and Recollections

Disclaimer: The OC's are mine. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that.

Routines and Recollections

Chapter 7

"I hear you dined with the family last night."

Ari stared at Dr. Kim Saruka for a moment before answering. "Yes."

Kim waited for her to elaborate and when she didn't, asked, "So what did you eat?"

"Curry chicken."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"I wasn't very hungry, but it was okay." Ari fell silent then and after a moment Kim smiled.

"Do you realize that you were in the same room with a man for half an hour?" she asked.

A faint look of surprise crossed Ari's face. "It was only half an hour?"

Kim couldn't help laughing. "It must have felt like an eternity to you, my dear. Still, that half hour was a tremendous accomplishment. Why do you think you were able to manage it?"

"Mokuba was there," she said simply.

"He is a really sweet kid, isn't he?"

"Yes," Ari smiled. She liked talking about Mokuba. "I don't know how to explain it, but when he's with me, I just kind of feel like I'm home. Does that make any sense?"

"It makes a great deal of sense," Kim agreed. "Children are born innocents, completely non-threatening. They see the world in a way that we often forget and remind us of those carefree days of our youth. I've been told that you and Mokuba were very close before the accident, so I am not surprised that he is the one you feel the most comfortable with."

"Before the accident," Ari murmured. "Why is it no one will tell me anything about who I was before?"

"Would you believe them if they did?"

Ari stared blankly at her and she continued.

"It is not wise to force the memory, Ari. It responds best to stimulus through the other senses: a familiar scent, voice, place, things like that. We want you to remember who you are, not be told it."

"Do you know who I am?" Ari asked and Kim frowned.

"There is much that Mr. Kaiba will not share with me, but I do have the understanding that you had suffered a traumatic experience only a month before the accident. I also believe that you are a strong woman and very determined. Do not let your fears and the unknown discourage you from moving forward, Ari. I think dining with the family is a great way to confront these fears, though you may have to force yourself to do so."

"I couldn't hardly eat," Ari admitted. "I was so anxious, so afraid that he would…"

Kim leaned forward slightly. "Would do what, Ari?"

Ari shivered and rubbed her arms against an imaginary chill. "I don't know, hurt me I guess."

"Physically, do you mean?"

"Yes…and no." She shook her head in frustration. "I don't know. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Okay, it's okay, Ari." She reached out and patted her hand. "Only you can make yourself confront these things. Remember it is always your choice."

Ari nodded mutely as the woman stood.

"I think that is enough for today. You are doing very well, Ari. Your memories may still be lost to you, but I think you are well on your way to discovering just what kind of person you are. I'll see you in a couple days, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you, Kim."

The doctor offered her a pleasant smile before exiting the room. Almost immediately in the hallway she was accosted by Seto Kaiba. She had come to expect this as he made certain to always be around when Ari was having a session.

"Well?" he demanded.

"No memories have returned, however I think we have made extraordinary progress regarding her phobia. Dining with the family appears to have been a successful endeavor. Mokuba seems to have a sedentary effect on her and as long as he is with her I believe we may be able to expose her to situations never before possible."

Kaiba frowned thoughtfully at her words.

"Not the prognosis you were expecting?" she asked with a tilt of a perfectly sculpted brow.

His frown turned into a scowl and she dared to chuckle softly.

"Patience, Mr. Kaiba," she reminded him. "Patience will keep your sanity. Now if you will excuse me, I have a conference to attend."

He nodded gruffly and stepped aside for her to pass. _Patience will keep my sanity? Just trying to be patient is driving me insane!_

* * *

There were only two place settings on the dinner table, for her and Mokuba alone. Ari wanted to ask but couldn't. After the two past weeks of family dinners, which she had been unable to eat anyway because the mere presence of a blue eyed glacier made her stomach do somersaults on a high-wire, she had somehow come to accept it as a part of her routine. Routines had become unimaginably important to her, as she had nothing left to base her life on. Having them interrupted was immensely disturbing and inspired an anxiety more akin to her lack of memories than the phobias.

For once, the meal was pleasant and she was able to clear her plate, much to Rory's delight. The plump cook fussed incessantly over Ari's absent appetite, chastising her for not trying to make an effort when she had the chance. She was a happy woman that evening when Ari actually asked for desert.

But despite her ease, the delicious food, and Mokuba's ever enjoyable company, her eyes continued to stray to that empty chair until they had done so so many times that Mokuba could not help a secret grin.

"He's away," he said suddenly and Ari quickly returned her gaze to him.

"Excuse me?"

"Seto had an out of town meeting," Mokuba replied. "That's why he isn't here tonight."

"Oh," Ari said. "I hardly noticed." _Why should I notice? It's not like he ever says anything, just sits there and picks at his food, eating less than me while reading the stock quotes. It's like we're in separate worlds despite being in the same room._

_It's better when he isn't here. I don't feel anxious and self-conscious like he's watching me when I know he isn't. I'm not afraid and I'm actually able to eat my dinner. I'm glad he isn't here._

Her gaze flickered to that empty chair again. _So why do I feel like something is missing?_

"He'll be back tomorrow," Mokuba told her.

"Of course."

"You used to go with him, you know."

Ari's head snapped up and the expression that flashed across his face told her he was never meant to say so much.

"I used to travel with him?" she asked and his gaze fell to his plate.

"Um, yeah. But we can't talk about that, okay Ari?"

_I'm sick and tired of everyone else knowing more about me than me! _But with a resigned sigh, she let the matter slide. She didn't want Mokuba to worry anymore than he already did over his slip up. _Maybe Kaiba will tell me, if I could ever find the courage to ask him. The circle seems to keep coming back to him._

Her eyes flickered once again to the empty chair. _I must have been an important employee, if I traveled with him on his out of town business. But I wonder how many employers_ _would take such an active role in the lives of their employees should one suffer an accident as I had? I was told it was work related, but I get the feeling that his responsibility goes so much deeper than that. Mokuba said I lived here for a while before the accident. My bedroom has a familiar feel to it unlike any other room in this house, so I believe him._

_Who am I? Who am I to Seto Kaiba? And why do I suddenly miss his oppressive silent presence?_

The next night there were three place settings. The anxiety returned but the empty feeling was gone.

* * *

"This picture is incredible," Ari murmured in wonder. "Did you draw this, Mokuba?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her standing on the far side of his room staring at a picture frame hanging on his wall. With a soft chuckle, he turned back to his computer.

"No, Ari. You did."

_**I **__drew this?_ It was almost photographic in quality, the two Kaiba brothers standing not quite back to back, the determination trademark to their family clearly evident in their eyes yet Mokuba maintained his innocent cheer and Kaiba his formidable glare. The artist had truly captured them.

"I didn't know I could draw," she said softly as she stared at the picture. It too failed to trigger any sense of familiarity, just like everything else.

"You should see the one hanging in Seto's office. It's amazing. I don't know how you ever managed to draw—oh crap! No! No! Don't do this now!"

"What?" Ari turned swiftly only to find him tapping his keyboard furiously.

"Aw gee! A virus! I don't know how I got a virus when I've got the latest in firewall protection. I just lost my entire exposition for history!"

"Is there any way it could be fixed?"

"Seto might be able to do something with it, but I know he won't have the time…say, Ari," he turned in his chair and looked up at her. "Why don't you take a look at it?"

She stepped back uncertainly. "But I don't know anything about computers."

Mokuba grinned and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards the offensive machine. "You know more than you think, trust me. It couldn't hurt to give it a try, could it?"

"Well, I guess not…"

There was no explaining it. Her fingers acted as though they were independent of her body, conspiring with a portion of her brain that refused to let itself be known as she searched the computer's base programming. Numbers and letters scrolled across the screen in rapid sequence the eyes could barely make sense of. Suddenly she stopped and stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keys in stillness.

"Did you find something, Ari?" Mokuba asked when she said and did nothing for two whole minutes.

"This program… it looks familiar. I've seen this before."

Mokuba remained silent, biting his tongue to keep from blurting out what she needed to realize on her own.

"For some reason I feel it should be more complicated. These sequences are too simplistic to sustain a program of…of…" she faded off when she realized she didn't know what program she was thinking of. She just knew there should be deeper commands, other…levels.

"There are similarities," Mokuba said carefully, "but this is just a personal computer so its programming is simpler."

"I know this," she stated softly and then turned on him. "Mokuba, why do I know this?"

"Because you wrote it, Ari," he said reluctantly. He had been hoping she would remember, but the fact that she had remembered something was enough for him.

"I'm a computer programmer?"

"You are so much more than that, Ari," he smiled. "But yes, that is one of your talents."

"And my job at Kaiba Corp?"

Another off-limits topic. She had a knack for hitting on them. "I can't talk about that, Ari," he told her sadly. "I promised Seto I wouldn't."

Ari frowned at the mention of the name. _What is that man keeping from me? What doesn't he want me to know? Does he even want me to remember my past or is it better for him that I don't?_

Reluctantly she turned back to the computer and continued. "Here it is, Mokuba. It wasn't a virus. It was a worm. They're a little different and this one seems to be attracted to a specific sequence in your firewall. I'm guessing you had it for awhile judging from the damage. Just give me a few minutes and I'll wipe it out and repair the damage."

Ari was shocked to hear those words coming so easily from her own mouth, but did not try to retract them as she had a feeling deep within that this was well within her capabilities. Her fingers and that mysterious part of her brain made short work of the damage and soon she was scavenging the lost exposition and suffering a barrage of "thank yous" and hugs from the ecstatic Mokuba.

She couldn't have been aware then how something seemingly so simple could induce such rapid changes. It was like a door had been thrown open, and she was not entirely prepared for the other side.

"Ari fixed my computer," Mokuba had stated proudly at dinner.

For the first time in weeks, Ari found herself looking into those cold blue eyes, and she didn't run. His gaze seemed to have the opposite effect on her, stripping her of the strength required to flee. Almost instantly those eyes turned to Mokuba and for the second time since waking from her coma, she heard him speak.

"What was wrong with it?" Even, emotionless, deep, strong. Ari felt an unnatural shiver inch its way up her back, one that should have been more frightening than thrilling.

"I caught some kind of a worm that had eaten away at the firewall and it attacked my exposition, nearly wiping it out. Isn't that right, Ari?"

She kept her eyes on her plate, swirling patterns into her pile of mashed potatoes. "Yes," she murmured softly.

Mokuba continued as if she had never been hesitant at all. "So I suggested that Ari try to fix it. I had thought it was a virus, but she found that it was a worm instead. You should have seen it, Seto. She was scrolling through the base commands like-like a fish through water! It was amazing! Then she wiped out the worm, repaired the firewall, and salvaged my exposition!"

Seto allowed his glance to travel to her down-turned face. Throughout the conversation she had become intensely fascinated with her plate.

_At least some things haven't been forgotten. _"Impressive," he said, knowing that Mokuba anticipated a reply.

Silence followed for a moment and all seemed content to poke at their dinner quietly. Mokuba glanced from his brother to Ari and bit his lip thoughtfully. _It couldn't hurt_, he decided.

"She remembered."

Seto's head came up sharply and the gaze he fixed on Mokuba had a flickering of life that had been absent for months. "What?"

"When she was working through the program, she started to remember something. It was familiar to her, but she said it wasn't quite right."

"What was wrong with it," Kaiba demanded.

The silence that followed was excruciating and Ari was keenly aware of the two sets of eyes boring through her.

"Too simple," she stated softly, refusing to raise her gaze. It was one thing to be in the same room with him when he remained silent and almost non-existent. She had come to be used to it. It was another thing to stare into those fierce eyes and still another entirely to actually exchange words with him. This meant she was forced to acknowledge his presence, and accept it.

"I think she was remembering the complex version she created," Mokuba added for her.

"I see," Kaiba replied and that ended the dinner conversation much to Ari's relief.

What difference did it make to the man that she had vague recollections of a complex sequence of numbers?

Two nights later, Ari and Mokuba's place settings had been moved one seat closer to the head of the table.


	8. Cold Fire

Disclaimer: I'm really running out of creative ways of admitting how destitute I am. YuGiOh is not mine.

Cold Fire

Chapter 8

It snowed. Ari felt as though she were a mere ten years old as she watched the fluffy whiteness cascade down from the gray skies. A slight breeze accompanied the snowfall and the branches of the barren trees in the gardens swayed gracefully. Bundled in a warm sweater and jeans, Ari reclined in the window seat watching in peaceful solitude. Had she wanted a closer view, she could have stepped out onto the balcony extending off her room, but she preferred the warmth and coziness of the window.

The snow must have started falling early in the night, for the gardens were already framed in a thick blanket of white. _So peaceful, so comforting, so—_

"It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing!" Mokuba bounced into the room like a rabbit on speed and she could only laugh at his enthusiasm.

"We have to go out and build a snowman, Ari!" he declared as he collapsed beside her on the window seat out of breath.

_Outside?_ In the six weeks that she had been with them, not once had she dared to set foot outside. The security guards were outside. Rarely did they set foot inside the Kaiba mansion, that leaving Seto Kaiba as the only man she had to be wary of encountering. But outside was a different realm entirely.

"I don't know, Mokuba…"

"Oh come on! It's the first snow of winter and just look at it! It's perfect for making snowballs and snowmen! Please, Ari! Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaassseeeee!"

_Now how does one say no to that?_

"Okay, Mokuba, okay," she relented with a slight smile_. I'll be with Mokuba. He will keep me safe._

Apparently she moved too slow, as Mokuba pushed her aside to burrow in her walk in closet to find the boots, gloves, scarf, and hat she never knew were there. Sufficiently bundled up, they left the drab world of the Kaiba mansion for a white enchanted realm.

The snow crystallized on the bushes and trees, extending the white radiance higher into the sky. Ari could have spent the whole day gaping at the wonderland had Mokuba not launched a fervent snowball attack. Then it became war.

Laughter served to entice any who heard it and hers had a most undeniable allure. Eyes were drawn to the small snowbound war and smiles flickered on otherwise granite faces. From his home office window, Seto Kaiba was no less affected. Watching her with his little brother, he could almost forget the true nature of the circumstances. Finally the two had exhausted themselves and flopped down into the snow to catch their breaths.

Sometime during the skirmish Ari had lost her hat and her long hair, more brown than golden when the sun failed to shine, splayed out around her in the snow. She was the image of a fallen angel, her cheeks rosy from the cold against a too pale face and lips redder than a rose. As if by some unearthly sense, the expression on her face changed to one he recognized. Her gaze turned towards the mansion, searching for the person or persons she sensed to be watching her.

Kaiba stepped away from the window and never knew if the motion had drawn her gaze. It seemed he was making good use of his home office ever since Ari had returned from the hospital. He liked to be around when Dr. Kim Saruka visited, that he might hear something positive about Ari's recovery. So very often he had been disappointed. Mokuba had been the one to bring him good news.

The fact that Ari had remembered something, no matter how insignificant it seemed, proved that she could remember. It was there and it only needed a little coaxing to bring it forth. Her tolerance for him had become almost unbearable, because he wanted so much more than for her to just tolerate him.

It was agony to sit with her each night at dinner, her eyes never meeting his, her words always given to Mokuba. It seemed ages since he had last tasted her sweetness, held her softly against him and breathed of her scent. His memory was beginning to fail him and he no longer knew if she would feel the same in his arms, or taste the same in a kiss. She was both living and dead to him.

Sitting at his desk, he opened the top drawer and gazed at the two boxes within. He pulled out the smallest, opening it somberly to stare at the jewel within. A gorgeous 3 karat marquis cut Harry Winston diamond winked at him. It had taken him forever to pick it out, but when he found it he knew it was the one, regardless of the six figure price. The diamond was flawless to the naked eye, its perfect clarity shattering and twisting light into countless sparkling colors. And yet Ari's lack of perfection put the magnificent gemstone to shame.

It was her damnable obstinacy that he loved best. Fear didn't prevent her from standing up to him and from the very first moment she had done so he needed to own her. It had been a grueling battle and she was a devious one, making plans behind his back, keeping secrets like a dead man. But in the end he had won the battle, or so he thought until he realized that his dear precious possession had come to possess him.

Kaiba smirked. _I may have won the battle, but she definitely won the war._

His thoughts, his heart, even his dreams. She was all he ever thought about and when she put her foot down about returning to her apartment, he thought he would snap. He hated that he had to wait until he got to work to see her every day. Sure it got him to work a lot earlier than he was used to, but then he had to wait impatiently for her to show. It was all he could do to keep from snatching her into his arms when she did.

A man simply could not live like that and being a man who always got what he wanted, Kaiba had determined how. Diamonds were supposed to be a girl's best friend, but that day it was going to be his. Then he lost her.

The box snapped shut on the ring and he placed it back into the drawer where it had stayed since the accident. Its companion box was ebony with white lotus flower engravings overlaid in mother-of-pearl. He had bought it for her to keep her treasure safe when she slept at night. Being a simple girl, Ari didn't crave being showered with gifts but had been ecstatic with the box nonetheless. He retrieved it from her apartment just a few days ago.

Opening this, he pulled out the delicate solitaire diamond necklace and dangled it from his fingers in reflection. The memory bound to the jewel was bittersweet, their first kiss. With amusement he recalled how desperately afraid she was that he would realize then that she had fallen in love with him, so she bit him. True he had not initiated the kiss out of love, but he had enjoyed it far more than he should have. But the jewel had been given in good faith, because he knew she deserved it and he knew she would love it and…he wanted to make her smile. It was the beginning of something great.

_If a computer program sparked her memory then maybe this will too_, he decided as he placed the necklace back in its box with unnecessary care.

* * *

Mokuba snuggled next to her under the blanket they shared before the roaring fire in the living room.

"I just knew it!" Rory declared as she carried a tray bearing sandwiches and two steaming cups of hot chocolate to the bundled pair. "Frolicking about in all that snow and you having lost your hat, Ms Ari. It's a wonder you didn't catch your death!"

Mokuba giggled as he grabbed a hot mug and curled his cold hands around it. "You worry too much, Rory."

"Thank you, Rory," Ari smiled as she accepted her cup.

The older woman grinned. "Well, I can't say it didn't agree with you, ma'am. With them rosy cheeks of yours, I've never seen you look more alive. It's quite becoming, you know."

Ari blushed and tried to hide it behind her mug as the woman set down the tray and left them to their camaraderie.

"You had fun, didn't you, Ari?" Mokuba asked after a moment.

"Yes, Mokuba. I certainly did," she smiled and selected a sandwich from the tray. "It's nice to forget sometimes."

His confused expression made her chuckle.

"I mean forget that I've forgotten. Sometimes when I'm with you I forget that I don't know who I am."

"Is that a good thing?" he asked hesitantly.

Ari couldn't resist ruffling his crazy hair. "It certainly is."

They spent an hour beside the fire, chattering away about this and that. Mokuba never seemed to run out of conversational subjects, which Ari found comforting since she was limited in what she could bring to the table. As the fire began to die down, they became aware of the time and decided it best to return to their rooms to finish whatever needed finishing (Mokuba with his homework and Ari cleaning up the mess he had made of her closet) before dinner.

El Jiura helped her, as her duties as a nurse seemed less required since Ari seemed well protected from the triggers of panic attacks for the time being. El liked her books, so she spent most of her time in her room next door, reading.

"What time is it, El?" Ari asked after awhile from amid the pile of shoes that was slowly taking form into rows again.

"Just a few minutes before seven, ma'am. Perhaps you should ready yourself for dinner."

Ari nodded and clambered up from the floor. One thing had been made clear to her early on, and that was that Seto Kaiba was a punctual man. Crossing to the dresser, she picked up her brush and removed the tangles from her hair. She usually kept it pulled back, but had left it down to better protect her neck from the cold snow. When it finally decided to cooperate, she set the brush aside, her gaze locking on something she was certain had not been there before.

The box was exquisite and looked very expensive being made of ebony and mother-of-pearl. _I know I would have remembered that if it had been here before_. The minutes ticked by and finally curiosity won out and she opened it.

Cold fire. Love and hate, pain and joy, images of beauty beyond her reach, the despair of a secret needing to be kept…all washed over her like cold fire. The diamond winked as if it knew everything she longed to know. Her fingers sought the stone and it was warm to her touch as if it had drawn the heat from a passionate heart and imprisoned that fire within its many fractures.

"Whose heart did you capture," she whispered softly to the jewel but it only winked at her, laughing in its own language.

"Ari," El broke into her thoughts with concern. "You are going to be late."

"Oh!" Ari dropped the necklace back in the box and closed the lid. "I forgot!"

She was only slightly out of breath when she reached the dining room. She was greeted by Mokuba as if she had arrived right on time. Not a comment was offered by Kaiba. He seemed especially intent on his newspaper tonight.

Ari was only half aware of what Mokuba said, at times offering a belated reply so that he might not notice her preoccupation. She wanted nothing more than to hurry back to her room, to that beautiful and obviously expensive necklace. It seemed to affect her somehow and she suspected she should be familiar with the jewel. Had it been hers? If so, where had it been all this time? Who put it on her dresser? Mokuba? No, he would have done something so secretive. Could it then have been—

Why? Why would he give her something so precious and valuable?

Dinner could not have ended soon enough and Ari bid goodnight to Mokuba with veiled eagerness. When once again alone, she removed the necklace from its box and stared at it, trying to make sense of the feelings it invoked.

It was unlike anything she had ever felt. Her room and Mokuba fostered familiarity, the computer induced memories, but the jewel inspired feelings one experienced in the expanse of a lifetime and not in a single moment as she did now.

She could not resist clasping it around her neck, the now cool stone settling just below the hollow of her throat as if it was always meant to be there. Turning to face the full length mirrors in her closet, Ari blinked several minutes at her reflection, seeing an emerald green velvet dress where her sweater and jeans should have been. Her shoulders were bare but when she raised her hand to confirm this reality, she felt cloth beneath her touch.

The softness of her hair on the back of her neck told her it was down, but her reflection wore it up with curls dangling about. The woman in the mirror was beautiful, but her pale eyes were sorrowful. A secret lay within, one that must be kept for desperate reasons, but when she touched the diamond around her throat, her smile glowed with a warmth few were ever privileged to possess.

Ari was drawn towards her, mesmerized by the reflection and wanting so much to be that woman because despite the sorrow of the secret she must bear, she was happy to bear it and Ari so longed for some happiness. _I want to know who you are. Why are you sad? Why do you glow? Who gave you this diamond? How did it find its way to me? Do you know who I am?_

She reached out to touch the outstretched hand of her image and as their fingers met, the illusion shattered and all that remained was an incomplete woman in a soft blue sweater with a diamond too glorious for one as plain and empty as her to wear.

Longingly, her fingers slid down the length of the mirror and she sighed. _I suppose I will never know._

With that she ventured into the closet to change into her pajamas for the night. There was still much to be straightened after Mokuba's furious search earlier in the day, so after changing she took a moment to finish the task. Some garments had fallen off the hangars and she reached into the back of the closet for fresh hangars rather than try to find the ones that had been lost. Her hand grazed plastic and for a moment she froze. _What could be hidden back here?_

Pushing the clothes aside, Ari stared at the dress wrapped securely and waiting for a second chance to see an evening of enchantment. She stumbled back in surprise and rubbed her eyes fiercely, afraid to believe what she saw. It was real. The elaborate stitching, the gorgeous color, was not something of her imagining. The dress was in her closet.

_She must have lived here, the woman I saw, except that if what Mokuba said was true, this has always been my room. That woman was me!_

Ari hesitantly turned away from the closet and turned the light off, slightly unnerved by this new truth. More than a truth, a memory. She had seen into the past and the key had been the gem at her throat. Those feelings of love and hate, pain and joy, the longing and the secrets had all been hers.

_What is it to feel if I don't know what I feel these things for?_

She sought refuge in her bed, allowing the comfort of home that she derived from the silk covers to form a barrier between herself and the uncertainty. It was becoming clear to her now that two women had resided in this room, this place. One was complete with all the emotions that made a woman whole and those emotions lived within a beautiful cold stone that the empty woman sought to make her own.

Ari curled her hand over the stone, pressing it against her chest as if this might ensure the emotions would seep through to her lonely heart and turn her into the woman she had seen in the reflection. _Tell me who you are. I want to know who you are, no matter the price!_ And she would pay the price.


	9. Save Me From the Darkness

Disclaimer: Alas, this poor authoress doth not owneth YuGiOh nor the sometimes gallant Seto Kaiba. ::swoon::

Save Me From the Darkness

Chapter 9

"You don't look well, Ari," Dr. Saruka observed with concern.

"I haven't been sleeping well," Ari admitted as she tried to wipe the weariness from her eyes.

"Or eating, for that matter. You look a little on the thin side. So why haven't you been sleeping well?"

"Bad dreams, I guess." Understatement. They were nightmares, terrifying, never want to close your eyes again for the rest of your life, nightmares.

"I see," Kim frowned. "How long have these dreams been troubling you."

"About a week now, I think." _Ever since…._ Her hand fluttered to the necklace hidden beneath her shirt. She hadn't taken it off since the first day.

"Why haven't you told me about this sooner," she chastised gently.

Ari shrugged. "I thought they would go away, but they kept getting worse until El insisted that I start taking sedatives before bed."

"Has that helped?"

"Yes." Her hand fell to her lap.

Kim frowned thoughtfully. "Tell me about these dreams, Ari. What do you see?"

"Nothing really. Just suffocating darkness," she shivered as she remembered and Dr. Saruka's observant eyes didn't miss the reaction.

"Is there anyone in the dream with you?"

"No, I'm alone," she admitted. "But the darkness, it has a voice and hands like a man, but it's just darkness…" her voice faltered in exasperation and fear of remembrance began to seep into her eyes.

"It's okay, Ari. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Ari didn't want to. It was bad enough the terror sought her in her sleep, she didn't want to dwell on it when she was awake. True, the sedatives El gave her helped her sleep a deep dreamless sleep, but she felt drugged and woozy most of the next day because of them. Also she had a distinct feeling that something from her past was reaching out to her in these dreams, seeking her but uncertain because of the jewel she wore about her throat. The darkness, so cold and wicked, could not swallow her completely because of the jewel. But the jewel was not enough to keep it from trying and she feared its powers of protection were faltering.

She shivered again and pushed the memory to the back of her empty mind, resorting to simple chatter with the psychologist from then on.

* * *

Kim knocked respectfully on the open door before stepping into Kaiba's home office. He glanced up from his work long enough to motion her to a seat. A slight smile whispered across her lips as she crossed the room and seated herself, crossing her long legs out of habit. Even a career woman like her could not deny the attraction a handsome man like Seto Kaiba had, even if he was a little younger than herself. A small part of her wondered why he bothered to concern himself with an empty vessel like Ari when he could clearly have anything and anyone he wanted.

"How was she today, doctor," he asked finally as he pulled himself away from his work and turned those ever-cold eyes upon her.

"Not as well as I had hoped. She doesn't seem to be eating well. I attribute that to anxiety of course. However she admitted that she has been having nightmares for nearly a week and therefore does not sleep well either."

"Nightmares?"

"She didn't want to talk about it. The nurse has been giving her sedatives to help her sleep, which I advised her to continue. It is possible that since Ari has taken strides to control her fears in the waking hours, they may be seeking her out in her sleep. It is a very common occurrence."

"I see."

Kim stared at him for a moment. "It would seem you have not been sleeping well either, Mr. Kaiba."

"I'm a busy man and don't have time for the luxury," he stated flatly. "Thank you for the report, Dr. Saruka."

A very clear dismissal, which she did not hesitated to obey. "Good day, Mr. Kaiba," she threw over her shoulder as she left. _Such a dismal man. He should become more concerned with what is in front of him then what is around him. It may effect a pleasant change._

* * *

There were only two place settings. Mokuba's was missing.

_Where could he be? I haven't seen him all day_, Ari wondered as she sat at her place and nervously eyed the other plate sitting at the head of the table, just one chair between them. She was making ready to run for the door when he came and she knew her window of opportunity had slammed shut.

Her eyes remained fixed on the china before her, her fingers knotting the napkin she had snatched for just such a reason. As was his custom, he offered no greeting, merely sat in his chair and stared at his newspaper as the kitchen staff bustled in and served dinner.

_There is no way I can eat this_, Ari thought as she stared at the plate she had been served. She knew it would scarcely pass her lips before her stomach would send it right back. Not exactly a spectacle she wanted to perform before him.

Kaiba glanced up from his paper warily to see her sitting just as she had when he arrived, stone still except her hands worrying the cloth napkin. It was clear she would make no effort to eat as long as he remained in her company. Had Mokuba been there, she at least would have picked at it.

His glance shifted to the empty seat and he shook his head. _I knew it was a bad idea to let him go. I can't stand this anymore than she can!_

"He is visiting a friend," he said softly, careful to keep his voice quiet enough that she would not jump out of her skin when he broke the silence.

Ari's fidgeting fingers froze when he spoke. _Face my fears. Face my fears._

"Oh," she said simply.

"He will be back tomorrow," Kaiba added in hopes it might alleviate some of her stress.

"Okay."

With a silent sigh, he turned his attention back to the stock quotes, but the numbers just blurred together. Clearly his mind wanted to be elsewhere.

"Ari," he spoke finally as he set the paper down. From the way her head turned slightly, he knew she had followed the action out of the corner of her eye. "I want you to keep something in mind," he continued. She remained frozen, listening intently. It drove him crazy that she couldn't so much as look at him!

"You can ask me anything, Ari," he said finally. It wasn't exactly what he was intending to say, but it would have to do for the moment.

She made no reply and he didn't expect her to, so he turned his attention to his dinner and tried to force his unwilling stomach to accept Rory's delicious food.

"Th-there is one thing," her timid voice spoke and he looked up to find she still stared into her plate. _At least she's talking._

"Yes?"

"The man with the green eyes," she spoke faintly so he had to strain to hear. "I think his name is S-Sojo."

"It is."

Again she fell silent and he wondered if she had the courage to finish what she had started.

"Who is he?"

Seto blinked, confused. _Why would Sojo provoke curiosity in her?_

When he said nothing, Ari ventured to look up and found him staring at her with faint confusion.

"I-I ask because I remember him from the hospital," she found herself saying.

A faint flicker of a smile whispered across his face, startling her more than his words ever could.

"He's your driver and bodyguard," Kaiba replied.

Curiosity overpowered anxiety and Ari turned her face fully towards him. "Bodyguard? Why do I have a bodyguard?"

"Protection, of course," he said and she half expected him to add the endearment, "silly" onto the end.

"Why do I need protection?"

"I have many enemies."

Ari frowned and stared down at her plate again. Mokuba had often mentioned his personal bodyguard, Washiro. Ari wasn't surprised the boy had one because he was a Kaiba after all and shared the Kaiba Corp empire. But…

Her words came slowly, thoughtfully. "Why would I need protection from your enemies?"

_Because you're important to me_, he wanted to say. More than anything he wanted to say it. "Because you are important to Kaiba Corp."

Ari met his stare and somehow had the feeling he was only telling her a half-truth. It was hard to tell when one looked into eyes that cold and unfeeling.

"What does Kaiba Corp do?" she asked much to his surprise.

"We manufacture state of the art gaming software and hardware."

"So what did **I** do at Kaiba Corp?"

He fell silent, much as Mokuba did when she asked a question directly relating to the memories she was missing.

"It's…complicated," he said simply.

"Was I a computer programmer?"

"Not exactly."

"Well, why did you hire me?" she asked and was immediately fixed with a chilling stare.

"Eat your dinner, Ari," he said sharply and she cringed, her gaze immediately dropping to her plate. She had asked too much.

Her hand shook slightly as she reached for her fork. _I guess I can't ask him just anything after all._

* * *

She woke up with a start, sweat trickling down her back sending shivers along her spine. The darkness of her room warned the night was only half gone and she still had a long wait before the sun would rise to dispel the lurking shadows. Brushing a damp strand of hair away from her face, she cast a hopeful glance at the clock only to find it was just a few minutes before two.

_I dare not go back to sleep. The dreams are waiting for me to do just that_. Despite the fact that pieces of her memory seemed to be fighting for attention within those dreams, they had reached a point where she no longer had the courage to face them. The screams, the pain, the fear… It was her own fault for not taking the sedatives El had given her. What ever made her think she could handle it on her own?

Ari pushed the covers away and slid out of bed. Her bare feet snuggled into the soft carpet grateful for the confirmation of reality. All would be asleep, she knew. El, the staff, and of course, **him**. Mokuba was gone for the night, not that anything could wake him. He slept like the dead. Hesitantly, Ari pushed her door open and glanced into the empty hallway, gaining confidence from the perfect silence of the mansion. The mansion could be quite a maze in the dark of night but her feet took her down the stairs and through the halls as if they had taken the walk a hundred different times.

Everything was in pristine order in the kitchen and she was surprised to find the glasses in the first cupboard she looked in. Brushing the surprise aside, she filled it with water and nursed it slowly despite her nagging thirst. Anything to keep her from having to go back to that room, those dreams.

When the glass was empty, she reluctantly set it in the sink_. Maybe there's a library I could borrow a book from to keep myself awake. I think I remember Mokuba leading me through one._ With that she left the kitchen to expand her search and did not have to search long because just as her feet knew the way to the kitchen, they likewise knew the way to the library.

It was a large room and would have been extraordinarily dark had the drapes not been pulled back from the ceiling tall windows. Moonlight filtered in its luminance to give the room a cool refreshing silvery-blue glow that was desperately needed.

Ari felt drawn into the room, her eyes barely able to take in the massive selection of bound titles. Time seemed absent and she had no idea how long she lingered before she noticed the second presence. She was about to pull a book free from the endless shelves when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Instantly she froze, wondering if she had somehow fallen asleep again and was trapped in that imaginary world where she had no control. But the plush carpet beneath her feet reminded her that she was very much awake.

"Trouble sleeping?" his deep voice shattered the stillness and she felt her stomach jump.

"Yes," she returned softly as she turned to meet his unnerving gaze. _Has he been there the whole time? Why did I not feel his cold eyes upon me?_

At first he had thought he was hallucinating, when the silver-blue moonlight suddenly beget a wraith of beauty. As she hovered beside a shelf gazing up at the books, he realized she was indeed a wraith, the enchanting shade of the woman he loved. Her light blue silk pajamas had lent to the illusion and the inhuman hour had taken advantage of it.

For once he was permitted the chance to watch her without her cringing away from him with the adverse fear he had grown used to. She had been torn from him, and he felt as if pieces of his heart were being crushed each time she stood before him empty of feeling and knowledge, empty of love but bearing the face of it. It was a slow death he suffered.

Suddenly she froze and he knew he had been noticed so he ventured to break the silence. It was a credit to her character that she did not run for they were quite alone in the darkness. Instead she answered his question and turned to face him. Her body was tense, but something held her there despite her unease. Perhaps it was the reason that brought her out in the grave of the night, in search of something that would serve to keep her awake even longer.

"Nightmares?" he asked, knowing the answer and wondering if she would reply truthfully. The nurse had informed him that Ari was beginning to have violent nightmares on a consistent basis long before Dr. Saruka had brought it to his attention. The weariness showed in the young woman's face, a tell-tale sign of the battles she fought alone in her darkened mind.

"Yes," she admitted.

"Shall I wake the nurse?"

"No!" she cried suddenly and recognizing the obvious desperation in her own voice, dropped her head, her long hair falling in waves to hide her face. "Please, don't," she finished timidly.

Kaiba was startled by her forceful reaction. "She can give you something to help you sleep, Ari."

"I don't want it," she returned, still frozen to her place. When he remained silent, she offered an explanation, worried that he might force the issue.

"I don't like how they make me feel," she said.

"I see."

She looked up hesitantly to see him regarding her in a way she had never expected. Not once during the exchange had he made any movement toward her. His voice had been soft, almost warm in addressing her, completely absent of the harsh chill she had come to expect. In fact, there was nothing threatening about him at all in that moment. He wasn't going to wake the nurse and force her to take the sedatives that always left her feeling disconnected and helpless.

"Come here, Ari," he beckoned softly and without thought she obeyed, surprising them both. When she neared him, the fear reasserted itself and she stopped as if on command. Suddenly her wrist was caught and she found herself being pulled closer. At first she resisted, but he was insistent and she was afraid of what continued resistance might provoke him to do. So she let him pull her, reluctant but submissive, into his lap.

His arms wrapped around her and hugged her tightly as he rested his head on her chest just above her heart. Ari was startled by the unexpected action and forced herself to remain still and calm. No doubt her heart thundered for him to hear, but more than fear induced this reaction within her.

Seto Kaiba was weeping. No tears left his eyes to stain his cheeks and wet her shirt, but she could feel intense sorrow within his embrace. His mourning was internal, fierce and shattering as it was within all men too strong to break on the outside.

Ari felt a tear slide down her cheek for the man who held her, begging comfort in a way she was certain he never dared before. She draped her arm over his shoulder and curled her other around his head, her fingers grasping his thick hair as she hugged him firmly against her breast.

_You've lost something important too, just like me. We're the same, aren't we?_

There was no knowing how long they sat there, holding onto each other as though for a little while it could replace what they had lost. For the time, her fear was forgotten as she prayed that he found what comfort he was looking for in her. She knew what it was like to be without and even this man who evoked such strange feelings within her from intrigue to terror deserved this same comfort.

She felt his embrace loosen and confusion filtered through her as one arm pulled away but the other continued to grip her waist firmly. Suddenly warmth swept under her knees and he lifted her into his arms. Instinctively she tried to pull away but his hold was firm and she was helpless in his embrace as he strode into the hall and up the grand staircase.

Her hands gripped his shoulders fearfully and she forced herself to look into his face for an answer, but none was to be found. His sharp eyes were focused on a purpose known only to him.

_Perhaps he means to take me back to my room. Yes, that must be…_

The thought fled her as he strode past her door to two doors down. The bedroom was decorated in royal blue and mingled with the moonlight had a most magical feel to its atmosphere. The blankets on the large four poster canopy bed had already been turned down, but were too neat to have been slept in yet. Ari trembled as he carried her to the bed, his destination. With gentle care, he laid her among the soft sheets and only the look in his cerulean eyes kept her from struggling.

The sorrow she had felt within him had risen to the surface. What could bring such pain to a man as solid and strong as him? What did he lose? All her courage fled and with it the strength to flee herself.

He pulled the covers over them both and settled himself down into the softness of the bed in silence. Ari stared uncertainly at the canopy above, stiffening when an arm swept around her silk clad waist and pulled her back against human warmth. She was thoroughly caught in his embrace and all possibilities of escape had been effectively removed. Silently she cursed herself for allowing her defenses to be undermined by sympathy.

Kaiba breathed deeply of her scent and sighed to himself as he felt her slight trembling against him. In the morning the illusion would have faded and once again he would be forced to stare into fearful eyes. But for this night it was enough to hold her body against him and to believe for just a little while that she knew who held her.

Gradually she relaxed as she felt the calm breaths of her companion through the rise and fall of his chest against her back. Whatever torment had kept him awake so late into the night had been appeased. He had taken her into his bed only to hold her as he slept, nothing more. She did not want to sleep, certain the darkness and fear was waiting for her on the other edge of consciousness. But the peace he found lured her and soon she too drifted off into a quiet, dreamless slumber.

* * *

**JadeGoddess**- If I understand your question correctly, I think you may have the timeline a little confused. When she came home from the hospital after her accident, she didn't know anything about the necklace. Also, she was released to Kaiba's care and custody so she had no real choice in the matter about going home with him. As for the thought that the necklace belonged to someone else, it was a fleeting thought because naturally, she assumed something so wonderful could not be hers because she is a simple person and since she is not aware of her relationship with Kaiba, she is having trouble understanding why he would leave it in her room for her to find. Once she realizes that the necklace was hers (the memory/hallucination with the mirror scene) she begins to separate herself into two different people. You will notice this in later chapters because she starts referring to herself as Ari of before, and Ari of now. She does this because she feels as if the woman she was before were a totally different person, one she may never be again. Does all of that make sense?


	10. Don't Leave

Disclaimer: I don't have it.

Don't Leave

Chapter 10

The first rays of sunlight woke him and he blinked in irritation at the disturbance. _I really should move into a room on the other side of the house,_ he mused. Turning his head to stare into the light full force, he found his view blocked by a mass of golden brown curls.

_There's an angel in my bed_, he realized as he sat up and stared down at her serene expression. It only took him a moment to recall the late night encounter and he was surprise that she had remained. _She must have fallen asleep soon after me,_ he decided as he reached out to finger her glorious hair. _If I could wake to this sight every morning, I would never curse the morning sun again._

His gaze drifted to the necklace around her throat, the diamond sparkling cheerfully in the sunlight, and a smile tugged at his lips. _It seems she hasn't forgotten her old habits._

She stirred slightly and he pulled his hand away, apprehensive at what her reaction would be when she woke to find him there. She didn't wake. Relief overcame him and he cautiously slid out of bed so as not to disturb her any further.

_Let her come to her own conclusions_, he decided as he dressed for work and left her to sleep bathed in morning glory. The image would sustain him through the day, perhaps even prepare him for the evening when she would remember how much she feared him.

* * *

_Don't leave._ She reached out for him but he continued to drift away. There was something familiar about the shadow that fell away from her. She should know him, his face, his voice, but these were all absent. There was just the consciousness of her heart that declared him the champion of her dreams. With him fled the barrier of strength that protected her from the darkness.

It surged forth and seized her in icy clutches and her blood stilled, restricting movement. The darkness grew hands and they searched her frozen body, leaving a lingering touch that made her stomach heave in fear and disgust. It was heavy and suffocating, and relentless. The hands—the hands were searching for that one thing that she could not risk losing.

_Come back! Save me! _

_Ari!_

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at the unfamiliar blue silk draped across the canopy above. With a shaky breath she forced air into her lungs and with relief discovered that her heart still beat. As calm settled over her, she took note of her surroundings and quickly sat up, scanning the room nervously to find that she was alone.

Clutching the silk sheets to her chest, the realization dawned on her that he had awakened before her. There was something seriously disturbing about finding herself in the man's bed. She felt sordid, as if she had been abandoned after a night of…

Ari blushed furiously at her thoughts, knowing full well nothing had happened. Kaiba had wanted nothing more than her company and had considerately left her undisturbed when he left her this morning. Somehow she knew it would have been extremely uncomfortable for the both of them if they had to face each other the morning after a shared night of loneliness. He must have known it too.

_What will the staff think if they find me here?_ Her cheeks reddened even more at their possible misconception as she threw the blankets from her and quickly crossed the room. A covert peak out the door showed her an empty hall and she scurried to her room just two doors down. Slipping inside, she sighed with relief and closed it softly.

"Where have you been? I was worried!"

Ari froze like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Uh, I was, I got thirsty." She turned slowly to face El. "I went down for a glass of water." _Last night._

El sighed with relief. "Well, you really had me worried when you didn't call for me last night."

"Call you?"

El gave her a reproving smile. "I knew you didn't take the sedatives I gave you at bedtime. So I was waiting for you to call for them in the middle of the night. You must have slept well."

Ari stared at her for a moment and then smiled shyly. "I did." _I did. In his arms, the nightmares didn't find me. It wasn't until he left me…_

"I think I'll get a shower, El. Mokuba is suppose to come back today."

"Very well. I'm glad to see you so well rested, Ari. You're almost glowing."

Ari blushed again as she stepped past the woman and headed into the large bathroom. _Glowing? Surely not!_

The mirror told her different. The fright was vacant from her pale eyes. They sparkled like her diamond, knowing the secret she shared with only one other person. For certain Kaiba would speak of the occurrence to no one and neither would she. Why did he seek comfort in her? Every time he looked at her, even when his eyes were cold and distant, she had a feeling that he saw something in her that no one else did. What was she to this man?

His eyes had been haunting, somber and grave. That night she understood the chill, the icy barrier he built around him. It was all to hide the pain. She wanted to soothe his despairing spirit. He knew so much about her that she did not and she felt in the darkest moment of the unforgiving night, he had shared with her secrets he would share with no one.

_When I look into his eyes tonight, will I see a change?_

* * *

Mokuba chattered endlessly about his day away and Ari listened and made comments when necessary. Kaiba read his paper and not once looked at her. She didn't blame him. The moment she stood in his presence again, the anxiety returned and her eyes looked everywhere except at him. She almost didn't notice when he left the table, as silent as he had come.

"I missed you," Ari said when they were alone and Mokuba paused long enough for her to say more than one word.

Mokuba grinned. "I hope you weren't bored. Seto was here, wasn't he?"

"Yes. You were sorely missed at dinner," she murmured and Mokuba's smile faded.

"I'm sorry, Ari." Suddenly his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "He wasn't mean to you, was he?"

"No."

"Good. Sometimes he can be rough around the edges, but you already know…" he faded off when he realized what he was saying.

Seeing his discomfort, Ari offered a small smile. "We talked."

Immediately the blue-violet eyes brightened, hopeful. "What did you talk about?"

_Not much._ "Kaiba Corp," she said.

"Did he say anything about taking you to work?"

Ari shook her head. "It was a short conversation," she admitted. Thankfully, Mokuba didn't pry. Neither was it whispered about by anyone of who had spent the night in the master's bedroom, much to Ari's relief.

When night once again faced her, she did not hesitate to take the sedatives El Jiura offered. The previous night had been a one time thing and she knew she couldn't face a repeat. Not when neither person could meet the other's eyes the morning after. Besides, it was pure chance that she slept so peacefully without the drugs, wasn't it?

* * *

A startled shriek tore from her throat and she stumbled back in defense, slamming into the wall. She was half turned to bolt down the hallway when she realized that instead of coming after her, the man had taken several steps back. Ever the powerful force within her, curiosity lifted her gaze.

"Forgive me, Ms Ari," Sojo pleaded, his hands raised in defense. It was a strange gesture for a man as tall and built as him.

She eyed him warily_. I thought the security guards weren't permitted in the house. But this one is more than that. Kaiba said he was my bodyguard._

"Mr. Kaiba sent for me," he explained when she said nothing. "I was on my way up to his office."

Taking another step back, she nodded and he slowly put his hands down. He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment in silence.

"Ms Ari, I know there is little you remember, but please keep in mind that I am always at your service. If you should ever find yourself in trouble, you only have to call my name. It is my duty, after all."

_Bodyguard._ Again, Ari merely nodded and it seemed to be enough because he then continued on his way, careful to keep substantial distance between them as he passed her.

It was frustrating, eyes once trustful to look upon you in fear and trepidation. If it bothered him, no doubt it was tearing his boss apart. After all, he was only her bodyguard. Seto Kaiba was her love.

Shaking the sentiment from his mind, Sojo narrowed his eyes and knocked on the door. A gruff word from the other side bid him enter, and he stepped into the home office to face Seto Kaiba.

"Sojo," Kaiba glanced up, "close the door."

He did and then waited in stone silence for the younger man to speak again.

"I have to go out of town for a few days," Kaiba finally spoke again as he stood from his desk and began transferring papers to his briefcase. "I want you to keep a close eye on Ari. It will be good for her to become accustomed to your presence, but I suggest you keep your distance. I grant you full access to the mansion, but Sojo," he turned a hardened glare on the man. "Her room is off limits. No man is to set foot in there."

"Understood, sir," Sojo replied evenly.

"If there is an emergency, I am to be informed immediately."

"Of course, sir."

Kaiba nodded and turned back to his work. "That is all."

The bodyguard left in the same silence he had arrived in and Kaiba was left to contemplate how he was going to break the news to Mokuba and Ari. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Mokuba hated his trips away because it left him to his lonesome company, but now he had Ari and he was terribly protective of her since the accident.

Surprisingly, Mokuba wasn't the one who was upset.

"A couple days?" Mokuba repeated. "Trouble?"

"There was a fire in one of the labs. A great deal of research was lost, pretest hardware damaged."

"Gee, why didn't you tell me? When did this happen?"

"I only found out yesterday, Mokuba," Kaiba told him.

"How long will you be gone?" Ari asked softly.

When he did not reply immediately, she glanced up, anxiety clearly visible in her pale eyes.

"Three days, if nothing goes wrong," he assured her quietly, his piercing blue eyes searching her face.

For a moment, the anxiety increased and he felt his heart quicken. _Is it possible she doesn't want me to go? Is she starting to accept more than just my presence? Could that night have affected her as much as it affected me?_

She returned her gaze back to her plate, which by some miracle was half cleared. After a moments pause, she picked up her fork and poked at her fish.

"I hope nothing goes wrong," she whispered so softly he wouldn't have heard her had he not been looking right at her and saw her lips move.

Seto glanced over at Mokuba who was grinning like an idiot. His exuberance shattered with a sudden sneeze that he managed to stifle in time with his napkin.

"You're not getting sick, are you?" Kaiba asked with a raised brow.

"Nah," Mokuba replied as he sniffled.

Ari smirked, but kept her attention on her plate. _Three days. It's going to be fine. Why should it bother me? It's not like we talk beyond the dinner table._ She had herself convinced all would be well when she went to bed that night but when she woke the next morning, she felt it in her gut. The ambience of strength and power had fled with the man who inspired it.


	11. Target

Disclaimer: ::yawn::

Target

Chapter 11

"You have to try to eat something, Mokuba," Ari scolded gently.

He merely moaned in response.

"Come on, Mokuba. Just a few sips. It's only chicken broth. You aren't going to get any better if you don't eat something. Please, for me?"

Mokuba pulled the covers down from over his head and glared at her, his eyes puffy and glazed from the exhaustion of spending a sleepless night tearing through a box of tissues. His poor nose was redder than a stop light and Ari smiled sympathetically.

"Maybe you'll listen to me next time I tell you it's too cold out."

Mokuba groaned again and pulled the covers back over his head. With a reluctant sigh, Ari set the bowl of broth aside.

"Well, at least take your medicine."

A hand poked out from under the covers and she dropped two tablets into the open palm. The hand disappeared and reappeared empty again and she put the glass of water into it. The glass disappeared and reappeared in a matter of seconds and Ari took it with a wry smile, setting it on the nightstand.

"Okay, I'll let you rest, then," she murmured as she stood and patted the lump she knew to be his head before leaving.

Two days gone, and Mokuba had a full blown sinus infection. He was down right miserable and Ari felt for him. The time she had anticipated spending playing games with him had turned into intermittent staring out the window and pampering him as much as he would allow. Focusing on him helped her to bear the fact that **he** was gone. There was something unnerving about the fact that he wasn't there should she need him. But when had she ever needed him?

The mansion was eerily quiet and she was far from tired. Shrugging on a coat, she decided to take a walk on the veranda. She wouldn't dare go far from the house. In the house she was safe. No one was permitted in the house, except for Sojo. At least three times in the last two days she had glimpsed him at a distance. Always he seemed to be intent on something having nothing to do with her. It was almost like he didn't see her at all and that was all right with her.

The sky was already darkening, the remnants of what must have been a spectacular sunset fading off on the horizon when she stepped out. The veranda had been shoveled clear of snow, bits of white still clinging to the natural seams in the gray stone like she clung to the few vague memories she had found. If there was one thing the Kaiba mansion was not lacking, it was silence. It thrived in the long empty halls, the numerous unused rooms. If not for Mokuba, laughter would never break the oppressive silence.

_How does Kaiba stand to live here? Doesn't the immensity of his home make him feel his loneliness more keenly?_ Ari shivered and rubbed the softness of the coat protecting her arms from the chill. _Such pain and loss in those beautiful eyes. Unspeakable sorrow… I've never seen such sorrow as if it stares him in the face day in and day out, taunting him. What could possibly pain a man as strong and unreachable as he? Or am I mistaking in thinking he is unreachable? _

_Am I a part of it?_

This last thought startled her. After all, there were still no answers as to why she was so important to him as to warrant such avid personal protection. _Important to Kaiba Corp_, she reprimanded herself. _He never said I was important to him, only to the company. _

_He __**is**__ the company._

"You are as pretty as they say."

Ari turned swiftly, her ankle twisting obstinately at the sudden action but she kept her feet, her eyes finding the one who dared to intrude on her brooding.

"Did I startle you? I'm sorry," he apologized, raising his hands non-threateningly.

"Who…who are you," she managed to ask as the panic threatened to swallow her_. Observe. Be observant. Take notice of your surroundings, of the situation…_ The voice was Dr. Saruka's advice on how to control the fear. So she observed.

There was something magnetically attractive about him. He had perhaps one of the most innocent faces she had ever seen, a smile tugging away at the corners of his lips. But the brown eyes…too sharp, too…aware.

"My name is Ito Nozaki, I'm a reporter—"

"Reporter?" Ari blinked for a moment. "H-how did you get in here?"

He offered a sloppy grin. "I have my ways. One must, to get the story sometimes. I just wanted to get yours, Ms Nieche."

She took an uncertain step back. There was still some distance between them, but not enough for comfort considering she was alone and he had already demonstrated that he had the ability to sneak past Kaiba's guards.

"Y-you know who I am?"

"Everyone does, but Kaiba Corp refused to make any comments regarding your unfortunate accident."

He suddenly had her interest. _No one will tell me anything about it. Maybe he will._

"Tell me," she said hesitantly. "Tell me what you know."

His expression fell. "You mean it's true? You don't remember anything at all?"

"Tell me what you know," she repeated. "Please."

His strange eyes drew into sharp focus on her face. "There was an accident during a preliminary test. You were testing a new holographic display unit for Seto Kaiba. It was too powerful and…" he faded off, leaving the rest for her to fill in.

"H-how do you know this," she spoke softly, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that as he spoke he had closed the distance between them.

"Information leaks. I heard Kaiba knew there was a flaw and he still let you test it. He let you get hurt," he murmured, his gaze taking in her features.

Ari took a step back. "Leave," she said.

"Huh?"

"I said leave. Now. You never should have come."

"But I didn't get my story yet."

"Th-there is no story. Leave now or—"

"Or what?"

_Run! Run now!_

She tried to turn, pain shooting through her ankle as she slipped on a patch of ice. A strong hand latched onto her arm and yanked her back up before she could fall completely.

"Let me go!" she demanded as she pushed away from him, the pain of her ankle only minor compared to the fear that overwhelmed her.

"Not until I get what I came for," he said, his fingers clenching still harder around her arm. The tone in his voice made her freeze. Gone was the harmless reporter and the eyes that bore into her spoke of deeper intent, one she could not even fathom.

"You know as well as I do, Ari," he spoke softly, his voice never rising or falling as he stared down into her wide, terror-stricken eyes. "That you are alone."

_How does he know this?_

"K-kaiba—."

"Is out of town and his security guards are blinder than bats and quite a distance from the house." She felt the steel grip on her arm reach painfully into her bones. "Now… where were we?"

Ari stared at him frozen in fear beyond the reach of hysteric panic. _No one. There is no one. There is…_

"Sojo!" she shrieked with power she didn't know she had. "Sojo!"

A harsh hand clamped over her mouth smothering her cry and she struggled to pull away.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nozaki demanded.

Ari kicked his shin viciously, pain shooting through her ankle as he cursed and stumbled back.

"Why you—"

Cold stone rushed up to meet her and she flung her hands out to protect her face as she crashed to the ground. A strangled gasp pulled her gaze away from the stone and she glanced over her shoulder at the reporter.

He dangled a good six inches above the ground clawing at the hand that clenched the front of his shirt and held him like a helpless puppy.

"Are you all right, Ms Ari?" the bright-eyed bodyguard asked as he glared at the man dangling from his fist.

_Had he really been that close?_ "I-I think so," she managed to say, still in shock.

He turned his gaze down on her, the crinkling around the corners of his bright green eyes speaking of a smile that never reached through his formidable expression, a smile only meant for her.

"You should go back in the house, Ms Ari," he suggested. "I will be in shortly to see that you are well, once I have dealt with this trespasser."

Ari nodded as she struggled to her feet with some difficulty. Sojo's eyes narrowed as he took in her injury. When Ari looked up at him again once she was standing, she suddenly feared for Nozaki's life.

"D-don't—"

"Don't worry, Ms Ari," Sojo told her as he turned his gaze on his captive. "We're just going to talk."

"O-okay," she murmured and turned to limp inside without a backward glance. Somehow she knew that talk was going to involve more than words.

El met her halfway on the stairs. "I thought I heard something—," she cut off when she saw Ari's strained expression, the tears beginning to stream freely and her shoulders shaking.

"Oh Ari!" she swept her into her arms and half carried her up the stairs and down the hall to her room. The forceful sobs shook her and Ari struggled for breath, her vision fading into red as her body suddenly reacted to full fledge panic.

"Breathe, Ari," El ordered sternly. "Breathe!"

Ari collapsed to her knees gasping helplessly. _I can't! I can't! _

El wrapped her arms around the woman and wrestled her head back, forcing two pills into her resistant mouth and forcing her to swallow. Ari gagged violently, but the pills went down even as she continued to struggle against the nurse.

"Just breathe, Ari," El ordered. "Breathe for me. Breathe."

It wasn't the words or the exhaustion, but the heavy sedatives that won out over the panic and finally Ari slumped limply against the nurse. El released a weary sigh as she shifted the woman to the floor and fell beside her, breathing heavily from the exertion spent in restraining the hysteric woman.

"There had better be a good reason behind this," she muttered to the ceiling. By the time she wrestled an unconscious Ari into bed, a shadow fell across the doorway.

"What did you do to her?"

"Sedation. I've never seen her in such a state," El replied as she turned to face him. "What happened?"

"An intruder accosted her outside," Sojo explained. "You should check her for injuries. I believe she may have twisted her ankle."

El nodded and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear wearily. "So much for making progress. Mr. Kaiba will be far from pleased."

Sojo's bright gaze drifted to Ari's limp form. "Just see to her."

* * *

**Nights Child-** The fire was not set on purpose. It was just a convenient occurrence for the plot and it seems like the kind of thing that could happen when Kaiba has so many people and labs working for him.

**X. Of The DamnedX.o.X-** There is a great deal of truth in the method of facing your fears in order to overcome them. However, facing your fears can yield two results. One, it can help you to overcome the fear, two, it can shatter you completely. The deciding factor between these two results is this: the person must be **ready** to face their fear. Actually, that is the title of the next chapter. Face the Fear. Since Ari has no memories, she doesn't have the personal strength to face the phobia. However, she finds the motivation elsewhere.

**YamiWestley-** I gave it a lot of thought, but I have to say that I'm not comfortable with the idea of someone else writing with my original characters. I'm sorry, it's a writer thing I guess. But I really appreciate you asking me.


	12. Face the Fear

Disclaimer: YuGiOh still isn't mine.

Face the Fear

Chapter 12

Seto Kaiba hovered hesitantly in the doorway. _This is her sanctuary and I have forbidden every man from setting foot in her room. Dr. Saruka said it is vital that her refuge never be violated, even by me._ Kaiba scowled fiercely. _Forget that._

The nurse watched him warily as he entered the room and approached the listless woman curled up in the window seat, a blanket draped over her lap. Her head leaned against the cool window, seeing and not seeing the world outside. Soft golden brown waves feathered about her pale face and with the frosted glass behind her, she could have been a picture on a holiday card. Seto wanted nothing more than to hold her.

The moment he had set foot in the mansion, Sojo had been waiting. Kaiba didn't wait to hear the whole story, streaking up the stairs like a bolt of lightening. The answer to the most important question in his mind was right before him, in a state of dazed shock.

Seto kneeled cautiously beside her. "Ari," he spoke softly.

She started for a moment and then slowly turned to look at him. Her pale eyes were wide and her pupils dilated, but the moment they alighted on his face, her vision pulled into sharp focus.

"You're back," she murmured and blinked slowly to confirm that she wasn't seeing things.

Kaiba frowned and looked over at the nurse. "How long has she been like this?" he demanded.

"Since last night," El replied. "I've never seen her so hysterical before. Heavy sedation was necessary to prevent her from hurting herself."

Seto returned his gaze to Ari to find her eyes searching his face, her head resting back against the frame of the window seat as if she did not have the strength to hold it up on her own.

"Ari?"

Again she blinked slowly to maintain her focus and failed utterly. She was quickly sinking into a dazed stupor.

"When did you last give her a dose?" he asked the nurse without pulling his eyes away from Ari.

"Just a few minutes ago, sir."

_I'm not going to get anything out of her in this state._ With an irritated sigh, he stood and turned to leave. He took one step and his hand was caught. Startled, he glanced down at the slender fingers grasping his. Instantly, her grip slackened and her hand fell away.

"I," she blinked a few times and desperately grasped a moment of clarity. "I don't want to be afraid anymore," she whispered as she gazed up at him.

He couldn't contain himself and reached out to tenderly stroke her cheek. Her gaze never wavered and not a tremble shook her and he tried to convince himself it was more than the drugs that gave her this strength.

Finally he turned from her and fixed the nurse with an icy glare. "No more drugs."

"But what if—"

"No," he snapped. "No more crutches. It's time she faces her fears. Have I made myself clear?"

El nodded stiffly. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba."

_I'll deal with the consequences_, he assured himself as he strode out of the room to find Sojo patiently waiting for him.

"Tell me exactly what happened," Kaiba growled.

"The intruder claimed to be a freelance reporter by the name of Ito Nozaki. He insisted that he only wanted an interview with Ms Nieche, but I suspect this was a cover for something more. His background information checks out but I don't know any reporters who can evade both guards and security cameras as effectively as he did. No one saw him enter the grounds and a thorough review of the camera footage likewise offers nothing."

"He knew exactly when and how to act," Kaiba spoke thoughtfully. "What did he say to her?"

"I don't know, sir. Ms Nieche was already quite panicked when I arrived and Nurse Jiura has kept her under sedation ever since. Neither could I 'coax' anymore details from Nozaki. He was a very stubborn man."

Kaiba scowled fiercely. "I want every man on the grounds and at Kaiba Corp to know what this man looks like should he try to pay her another visit. Where is he now?"

"Most likely at Domino Hospital having his injuries cared for, sir," Sojo said without expression.

A knowing smirk played across Kaiba's lips. "Good."

* * *

"Nurse Jiura told me that you have forbidden her to give Ari anymore sedatives," Dr. Kim Saruka stated.

"I did," Kaiba returned without looking up from his desk. "Is there a problem with that?"

"I think there is, especially so soon after this recent traumatic incident. Ari's psyche is in a very fragile state right now and those sedatives are all that keep her from slipping over the edge. Her experiences have been traumatizing enough without her having to relive them each night in her dreams. As her doctor, I do not approve of your decision at all. It will only serve to endanger her more."

"Your opinion has been dully noted," Kaiba murmured.

Kim frowned deeply. "Mr. Kaiba, I am certain that this has been a very difficult time for you, being parted so cruelly from someone you care about. But your feelings are as dangerous to Ari's recovery as the attack that occurred the other night. If you think that you will be able to provide the pacifying comfort she needs in place of those drugs, you are sadly mistaken."

Icy blue eyes turned up to look at her. "Despite what your professional observation has led you to believe, Dr. Saruka, this was not my decision."

"Then pray tell, whose was it," she demanded.

"Hers."

Kim stared at him silently for a moment. "I do not believe Ari is capable of making such decisions considering her present state of mind," she finally said.

His stare was unflinching. "The fact that she has made such a decision tells me that she is. My orders stand."

The woman sighed wearily and stood from her chair. "Very well. But be forewarned, Mr. Kaiba. The repercussions of your actions may prevent Ari from ever recovering as we had hoped."

"Again, your opinion is dully noted, Doctor."

His icy glare followed her exit from the office, never flinching, never hesitating. Ari's words echoed through his mind like an endless chant. _I don't want to be afraid anymore. _He could not back down now, no matter the consequences. It had been his Ari, the one he had fallen in love with, who had reached through the haze of fear and drugs to make this plea. The woman strong enough to fight for what she wanted was struggling to break the frightened shell that confined her.

_I'm not going to let her fight on her own anymore._

* * *

Ari gingerly traced her fingers over the dark bruises. There were four on the inside of her arm, one on the outside, the perfect impression of a hand print. At present, El was knocking on the bathroom door asking her if she was okay because she had been in for almost two hours.

The memories were severely clouded by panic and fear, but she remembered his words. He had suggested that Seto Kaiba was at fault for her accident and her loss of memory, that the man knew something was wrong and allowed her to go through with the test anyway.

_What was I testing? Kaiba Corp designs and manufactures gaming software and hardware. Maybe I was testing a new piece of hardware, but what kind of gaming hardware could possibly injure a person so badly? That reporter, I think he knew more than he was telling._

With a sigh, she rolled her sleeve down over the bruises and proceeded to brush her hair. It was a welcomed change to be able to think clearly again, but at what price? The nightmares hovered, waiting for her, always the threat in the darkness, a threat of death and more. The jewel she always wore could no longer protect her. So desperate had she been, that she had asked El for a sedative if only to chase the darkness away.

El gave her a funny look, and refused.

"Mr. Kaiba has forbidden me to give you anymore sedatives. He said you must learn to face your fears," the nurse had told her and by her expression, Ari was certain the man had been stern and formidable.

_Face my fears._ So she tried, with a strange sense of determination she had never felt before, but it wasn't enough. There was nothing to protect her from the voices in the night or the icy hands that clawed at her. So real had it been that when she discovered the bruises on her arm, she had believed them a manifestation of her dreams.

He had taken away her only solace, her only weapon against the panic. Why? If he were considerate enough of her state of anxiety to excuse her from dinner, then why inflict this… this torture upon her?

"Ari, are you all right in there? Please, answer me!"

With a sigh, Ari set her brush down and reached for the door. "I was just thinking," she murmured as she limped past the startled nurse.

"Well, you could have answered me. I was really starting to worry!"

Ari shrugged as she climbed into bed and laid back to stare up at the canopy indifferently. _This night is going to be just like the one before, and the one before that._

"Do you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep, Ari?" El asked hesitantly.

"Please," Ari whispered. El sat on the side of the bed and cradled Ari's hand in hers.

"Just think about good things, Ari," she murmured softly. "Like snow, flowers, kittens…" Her voice was soothing and Ari tried to focus on the images her words brought to mind. _Perhaps tonight will be different after all…_

* * *

_"Let go, Ari."_

_"No!" she cried bitterly. "I can't, I won't, I…" her fingers were slipping, pain searing through her hands. It would be so easy to let go. It would end everything. Her fingers uncurled and she gave herself to the dark void, falling endlessly, falling…_

Her head cracked sharply on the floor and her eyes flared open to stare at the familiarity of her shadowed room. A painful moan seeped from her lips as she rubbed her tender head and glanced up at the clock on the nightstand above her. Too many hours before dawn still. With weary reluctance, she pulled herself up and stared at her bed, the covers pulled and bunched as if an army of children had declared war amid the blankets. It **was** a war, one she could not escape from. It had been good fortune that she had fallen from bed because she dreaded what awaited her in the darkness. This had been the first time she had surrendered to it.

_I cannot go back there._ But even as she thought it, weariness tugged at her eyes. She would not be able to keep herself awake for very long, and the darkness would be waiting to finish what it had started the moment she gave in to sleep again.

_I just can't face another night like this!_ She sunk to her knees and wept_. Why won't El just give me drugs? Because of him! _Her teeth clenched angrily_. He doesn't care how I suffer! He doesn't care… _even as she thought it, she knew in her heart it wasn't true. Words could not shake the vision of sorrow she had once seen behind the ice, felt in his desperate embrace. _We are the same._

Shakily, she pushed herself to her feet. There was only one night when the dreams could not reach her because something stronger than sedatives protected her.

The silence of the mansion threatened to unnerve her, but she was desperate and desperation lends unshakable strength. _Have I lost my mind,_ she wondered as she gently cracked the door to peer into the darkened room. _No. I fear losing it and that is why I am here. I will leave before he wakes in the morning so he will never know._

With this decided, she softly closed the door behind her and crept to the side of the bed. Faint moonlight drifted through the window to soften his handsome features. He looked so peaceful and she longed for that peace that so effectively evaded her.

_Is it wrong of me to want this, to want just a few hours of freedom from everything that haunts me?_

Not once did he stir as she shyly crawled under the covers and snuggle down into the softness of the bed, as far from him as she could get without falling off the edge_. I must wake before him_, she reminded herself as she allowed sleep to take her, no longer afraid because he was near, this man she trusted when she knew she shouldn't.

Kaiba lay awake long after she had fallen asleep, listening contentedly to her soft easy breaths. He knew why she had come, and for that had done his best to feign sleep that he might not scare her away. Even now he feared moving lest he should wake her. The nightmares must have been especially bad and without the sedatives to shield her, he knew she would be forced to face them. He hadn't quite expected this to be her choice, though.

Carefully turning on his side, he stared at her curled up like a child nearly on the edge of the bed afraid to take up anymore space then necessary. He smirked at her ever-surprising innocence. She murmured something unintelligible and he knew there was little chance of waking her now that she had once again fallen into her dreams.

With tender care, he pulled her away from the edge of the bed and to his surprise, she rolled on her own to face him. Her features were set in sweet slumber and he brushed her long hair away from her face.

"Tell me what I have to do," he sighed sadly, "To make you remember that I love you."

* * *

**Nights Child-** Actually I'm not very fond of 'convenient' occurrences in my stories. I like everything to flow so smoothly that my readers think "it could not have happened any other way." But the fire was necessary because I needed to get Kaiba out of the house.


	13. A Matter of Trust

Disclaimer: Let's see now. Multicolored dried out pens, check. Fifty-three notebooks of unfinished stories, check. Dryer lint, check. Fat lazy and semi-psychotic lap cat, check. YuGiOh…hm…let's put that on the want but will never have list along with the Loch Ness monster and a tolerable singing voice.

A Matter of Trust

Chapter 13

_Mokuba must still not be feeling well. He's usually bouncing on the bed by now to wake me, _she thought vaguely as she turned her face into the morning light. She smiled softly at the warmth and opened her eyes to greet the new day. After a moment she frowned as she realized that her bed was facing the wrong direction. Glancing up at the blue silk canopy, it dawned on her it was facing the **right** direction…it just wasn't her bed.

Pulling herself up slowly, she sighed with relief to see she was alone much as she had been the morning after the first night she had stayed with him. He had awakened before her, and she never even heard or felt him leave.

What could possibly have gone through his mind when he discovered her in his bed?_ I was suppose to wake before him so this wouldn't happen. He must think I'm a tramp,_ she thought shamefully as she slid out of the bed, her ankle aching slightly beneath her weight. She was surprisingly alert, only as one would be after a good night's rest, and she knew her suspicions had been correct. Something about his presence kept the nightmares at bay. It didn't seem logical. He was a man and therefore dangerous and untrustworthy…but Seto Kaiba was more than **just** a man.

Like a thief not wanting to be caught, she cautiously peered out the door before limping down the hallway to her own room and this time no one noticed. She was already dressed when El put in an appearance.

"Are you well, Ari," the nurse asked hesitantly as she eyed Ari straightening out the covers on her bed.

"Of course, El. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Then you slept well, did you?"

Ari froze for a moment and smiled softly to herself. "Yes, El, I did. How is Mokuba? Is he up?"

"Up and down for breakfast already, Ari."

"I suppose I'll join him then."

Nurse Jiura stared at her as if she had grown a second head. "Are you sure you are well, Ari?"

Ari smiled with the confidence her little secret had given her. "Quite well, El."

Mokuba was ecstatic to see her. "Are you sure you shouldn't be resting or something?"

"Not anymore than you should be," she said with a twinkle in her eye he had not seen for months.

Mokuba sniffed and rubbed his nose. "Aw, the doctor says I'm fine now."

"Good, because you get crabby when you're sick," she grinned and peered down at the plate Rory had set before her. Eggs and waffles. _I am so hungry_, she thought as she dug in eagerly. Both Rory and Mokuba stared at her for a moment in awe, almost convinced that this was the Ari they had always known.

"Hey, Ari, guess what," Mokuba finally spoke up when she had a couple bites.

"What?"

"Seto said I can bring you into Kaiba Corp whenever you think you're ready."

Her fork hovered over her plate. _Kaiba Corp? Actually go outside the mansion? I would be with Mokuba and Kaiba will be there and they won't let anything happen to me…_

"Today?" she asked and his eyes lit up.

"Are you sure? I mean so soon after, uh, well—"

"I want to know who I am, Mokuba," she said firmly and he grinned.

"Today it is then."

* * *

She fidgeted until Mokuba's hand clamped down on hers reassuringly. They were the only two in the back of the limo. Washiro and Sojo were in the front. Ari no longer had any qualms about Sojo's company ever since he answered her cry for help just as he had promised he would. Washiro was not one she knew well and she felt an instinctive dislike for the man's all too easy smile. But once they arrived at Kaiba Corp, all else was forgotten.

Mokuba took her to her own office straight away. It fostered the same familiarity as her room in the Kaiba mansion, but the memories merely flickered at the edge of her consciousness, not quite wanting to reveal themselves.

"I must have spent a lot of time here," she murmured as she walked in and sat at the desk. With an amused smirk she fingered the small doodle taped to the computer's external memory cache. It didn't take a genius to recognize the Devil Kaiba in the small sketch. Turning from it, she booted up the computer and typed in the password without second thought.

"See, you haven't forgotten everything, Ari," Mokuba said.

"Patterns and codes hardly make up the semblance of a memory, Mokuba," she replied, "but it is something. This is the program I was working on, isn't it? The one having similarities to the base program in your computer."

"Yeah, except this program here is a seven layer holographic enhancement program."

"Holographic enhancement? What for?"

"Um, I think I better let Seto answer that one," he evaded.

She spent hours in that office, scanning every file on her computer, sifting through every file in the cabinets and pausing for quite some time over a detailed blueprint of a fiber-optic cable that seemed to trigger a sense of possessiveness and pride within her. When she had nothing more to look through, Mokuba took her over to his brother's office.

"He's in a meeting, so we won't be bothering him or anything," Mokuba assured her as he pushed open the doors to the large office. Spacious and simply furnished, as she had expected. Mokuba pranced off to the desk where he set about toying with his brother's computer while Ari examined the bookshelves. On one shelf in front of all the books on business, there was a charming picture of Mokuba running towards the camera with his arms wide open as if he were about to embrace the photographer.

Ari smiled at the image and allowed her eyes to travel to the next frame. It was her. She stared at it frozen for a moment before reaching to pull it closer. The serene expression on her face was heartwarming. She was curled up in a sofa chair, sleeping. _Was I ever that carefree and peaceful? Why would Kaiba have this picture here…in his office…next to Mokuba's?_

Her hand trembled slightly as she set the picture down, once again reminded of the suspicion that something more might have existed between Seto Kaiba and the Ari of before. Turning away from the bookcase, her eyes caught sight of a picture frame occupying the same wall. Stepping closer, her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the fearsome creature.

"That's the other picture you drew," Mokuba spoke up and she glanced at him. "Remember, I mentioned it to you when you saw the one in my room. I wanted that one too, but Seto likes to keep it here."

Ari turned back to the picture and studied the detail. The dragon was fiercely magnificent, so real looking that she expected it to leap out of the frame_. I can't believe I drew something like that. Why did I?_ As she stared at it, she noticed the unusual nature of the dragon's blue eye. It was human and as her stare lingered, the second image became clear. Overlapping the profile of the dragon was the face of Seto Kaiba.

Ari took a startled step back. _How? Why? Was that how I saw him? Is that what he really is?_ She shivered and turned away from the picture, disturbed by the thoughts it provoked. _I need to sit down._

Mokuba seemed intent on whatever game he had discovered on the laptop, so Ari fell onto the sofa and wrapped her arms around herself to quiet the unnatural chill. _What sort of man is it that I have found myself trusting in? How much do I know about him really? The woman that drew that picture, did she respect or fear him? What did she know that I don't?_

With a weary sigh, she curled up into the sofa, resting her head on the cushioned arm_. I can't trust my memories, I can't trust my dreams, I can't even trust my reality. Isn't there anything I can trust?_ She closed her eyes against the tears threatening to escape. _I'm so lost._

* * *

Kaiba paused in the doorway when he saw Mokuba sitting at his desk. "I wasn't expecting you to come in today," he said and his little brother looked up with a grin.

"Shh," he said, putting a finger to his lip and then pointing. Seto followed his gesture to the sleeping woman curled up on the sofa. He returned his glance to Mokuba with a raised brow and Mokuba's grin widened.

"She wanted to come," Mokuba explained softly.

Kaiba glanced at his watch and frowned. He hated to wake her, but it was considerably late and he was actually hungry for a change.

"Where is her coat?" he asked his brother as he strode into the room.

"In her office. Should I get it?"

Seto nodded and Mokuba closed the laptop before leaving.

_What is it about her when she sleeps, so sweet and innocent…I can almost forget she is a different woman now, a stranger._

Hesitantly, he reached out and gently touched her shoulder. She woke with a start and he stepped back instinctively. Her wide doe-like eyes were bright with fright and he half expected her to bolt for the door. After a strained moment, she glanced away and rubbed the weariness from her eyes.

"What time is it," she asked sleepily.

"Quarter after seven," he said softly. "Mokuba is getting your coat."

"Here we go, oh Ari, you're awake," Mokuba's cheerful voice cut through the unease. "I got your coat for you."

"Thank you, Moki," she smiled as she accepted the coat from him. He held onto it for a moment and stared at her strangely.

"What's wrong," she asked hesitantly and then glanced up to see that Kaiba held the same strange expression. "W-what did I do?"

"It's just," Mokuba hesitated and then smiled shyly. "You haven't called me that since before the accident."

Ari stared at him. "Oh." She glanced down uncertainly at her coat. _Why did I call him that? It just came out._

"Excuse me, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto and Mokuba both glanced up at the secretary hovering in the doorway.

"There's an emergency call from security—"

"I'll take it," he cut her short. "Mokuba, take Ari home."

"Okay," he said as Kaiba strode out of the room without a backward glance. "I guess it's just us for dinner, Ari."

"Sounds good to me," she agreed with a faint smile.

* * *

"When we compared the security codes used to access the observation deck the day of the accident against the hallway camera's time table, we found an inconsistency, sir. There was an access made that was not on the camera video feed."

"Someone doctored the footage?" Kaiba asked.

"It would seem so," Ian, present head of security agreed. "We are still trying to figure out how the footage could have been altered without any of us knowing. It was pure chance that we discovered the discrepancy at all."

"Did you retrieve it?"

"We just finished putting it together. We don't know what's on this, sir, so…"

"Play it," he snapped.

Ian nodded and punched in a code on the computer. The screen flickered.

"I'm certain you know, sir, that because this part of the footage was removed, this must be the person who put the Blue Eyes White Dragon into the holo-duel system."

"And how many people have access to that card? I'm as curious as you, Ian," Kaiba growled as he watched the screen. The seconds ticked by as if they were minutes until a figure walked onto the screen. Kaiba felt his heart still. He would know that person, that walk, anywhere.

Sure enough, a hand reached out and tapped at the code access panel to the observation deck.

"Don't tell me the code used was…"

"I'm afraid so," Ian said grimly. "It was Ms Nieche's."


	14. Snakes and Dragons

A/N- Someone brought up the question of if something more had been done to doctor the film like adding an image or taking out another portion of the footage that yet has to be found. The answer is no. The only thing that had been changed in the film footage was the portion that Kaiba saw had been removed from the original film. What he saw is what he saw. That's all I'm gonna say.

This chapter picks up the same night as the last chapter in case you get confused.

Disclaimer: ::checks ebay bid:: Nope. Still not mine.

Snakes and Dragons

Chapter 14

Ari paced restlessly. She and Mokuba had enjoyed a peaceful dinner together, but her mind had been elsewhere. The pictures in Seto Kaiba's office at Kaiba Corp had triggered something, mostly the drawing that was allegedly done by her own hand. Monsters were born from the darkness in her dreams now, so much more terrifying than the icy cold hands that reached for her. When Kaiba woke her, for a moment she felt she was still in the dream. It was a relief to see he was just a man, not the monster.

But it didn't make it any easier for her now. It was nearly one in the morning and she had not even dared touch her bed. Having tasted earlier in the day of what awaited her in her dreams, she dreaded facing them almost as much as she dreaded another late night excursion to the room down the hall.

Finally, with a weary sigh, she turned from her sanctuary and silently shuffled down the hallway. The door was cracked and there was a light gleaming from inside, not exactly what she had been expecting.

_He's awake! I can't possibly go in now!_ She glanced down the dark hall towards her own room and hesitated. _But I can't go back either._

Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath and reached deep for a semblance of courage. _If I was crazy before, I'm definitely a lunatic now!_

With that she reached out and gently pushed on the door. He was sitting in bed with his laptop, clicking away at she could only imagine what. He seemed thoroughly lost in thought as she stood there timidly in the doorway. After a moment his fingers froze and he glanced up, not a lick of surprise flickering across his face.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted softly.

His sharp eyes stared at her for a moment then with one swift easy motion, he pulled the blankets back on the opposite side of the bed. The obvious invitation would have been severely unnerving had he not immediately turned his attention back to his computer, completely indifferent as to if she chose to stay or go.

_I've come this far._ So she closed the door with a soft click and timidly crossed the room. He never even glanced at her and they might as well have existed in different worlds for all the attention he paid to her. _Why is he making this so easy for me_, she wondered as she climbed under the covers and sunk into the pillow, curling far on the side of the bed with her back to him.

There was something oddly soothing about the rhythmic clicking and Ari smiled softly as she closed her eyes_. No monsters will be after me tonight._

Finally, the clicking stopped and the bed shifted slightly as he set his laptop on the nightstand and turned the light out. The air seemed to sizzle with her renewed apprehension, but Kaiba merely rolled onto his side and stared off toward the window.

There was so much confusion now, more than that within his heart. Why would Ari put a Blue Eyes into the holo-duel system when she was performing the preliminary tests herself? She knew the dangers involved and she wasn't the kind of person who took unnecessary risks. He vividly remembered the fear in her face when the computer had summoned it. No, Ari could not have been the one to mess with the duel system.

But the camera did not lie, the record of access codes did not lie, and the fact that of all people Ari both had access to his precious card and the ability to enter security without suspicion to doctor the video footage was even greater proof.

_But she wouldn't have done that! It doesn't make any sense!_

The woman who shared his bed could do nothing to enlighten him. What memories she had managed to reclaim were insignificant to the big picture. It had awarded him a measure of peace to throw himself into the pursuit of the one who had done this to her, but now he was left with nothing. He had a woman he could not hold and a culprit he could not find.

_He's angry_, she realized. It was a large bed and there was a comfortable distance between them but even still she could feel his tension, his frustration. It wasn't there a few minutes ago when she first laid down.

_I can't sleep if he's like this. _

She took a deep calming breath. "Kaiba?" she spoke softly and she felt his restlessness instantly still.

"Yes?"

"The picture in your office. I drew it?"

Pause. "Yes."

The silence lengthened between them for a moment and he wondered if she had fallen asleep. No, she was still too tense.

"The dragon," she spoke finally. "Is it a good dragon?"

Kaiba felt a smile tug at his lips. "As long as it's on your side."

"Then," she hesitated as images of her afternoon dream reached out to her. "Why does it want to hurt me?"

There was a quick shifting of the bed and the light flickered on. Ari rolled onto her back in surprise to find him sitting there, staring down at her with an expression sifting between curiosity and concern.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said quickly as she turned away.

Seto grabbed her arm and pulled her back, ignoring the tension that seized her at his touch.

"Not nothing," he said firmly. "Why do you think the dragon wants to hurt you? Is this what you dream about?"

She nodded timidly.

"What else do you dream about?"

Ari squirmed under that piercing stare, but she could not escape for the hold he had on her. The last thing she wanted was to fight him, knowing it could both anger him and take away her only solace for the night, no matter how dangerously twisted it was.

"A snake," she finally said and his eyebrows shot up beneath his long bangs. For a moment she thought he was going to laugh at her.

"What kind of snake," he asked instead. His tone was far too serious for her to believe him to be anything but sincere.

"It's huge, like a house, and…it chases me."

"Then what?"

She bit her lip, a mingling of fear and pain seeping into her pale eyes. _I don't want to relive this. Not now. I came to him so that I wouldn't have too._

"Ari," he called her drifting focus back to his stern expression. "What happens next."

"It can't catch me," she said.

"The snake can't? Why not?"

"Because the dragon won't let it," she whispered.

"So why are you afraid of the dragon," he asked gently.

Tears started to gleam in her eyes and tear at his heart. _I can't let her stop now. We've come so far!_

"It burned," she whispered so faintly he almost couldn't hear. "White fire."

The tears streamed freely, delicately like dew down her cheeks and she closed her eyes, no longer able to bear looking into his. She felt a gentle caress against her skin as he wiped the tears away, his fingers stroking her cheek long after the droplets had been collected.

"It didn't mean to," he spoke gently and her eyes fluttered open. "It didn't mean to hurt you."

This was not a man she knew. The barrier of ice was non-existent as he stared down at her with warmth and affection dancing across his beautiful eyes. It was the expression she often found herself looking upon Mokuba with, and reinforced the impression that she meant so much more to Seto Kaiba than anyone was willing to admit. Instead of reassuring her, it frightened her because she could not remember if she was to feel the same.

_This is the man the woman of my reflection compared to a dragon, the same dragon that protects me in my dream one moment and then turns on me the next. Did the Ari of before fear him as much as I do now, when he looks at me in a way I'm certain he has never looked at any woman before? Is he really to be trusted at all?_

"He said it was your fault," she found herself saying and she suddenly wished she hadn't when his eyes darkened slightly.

"Who said what was my fault," he asked.

"The reporter," she whispered and flames ignited in his stare. His fingers tightened around her arm and she winced.

"What else did he say," he demanded.

"I didn't understand him," she admitted, "I don't remember—"

"Tell me what you do remember."

_So much for sleeping._ Ari narrowed her eyes in thought as she tried to make sense of Ito Nozaki's words. The message behind them had been clear enough. Don't trust Kaiba. It scared her because she knew she was already starting to trust him.

"He said you knew it was flawed and you still…"

Anger swept across his face and she cried out when he unconsciously clenched her arm tighter. Her cry startled him and he instantly let go.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"No," she murmured as she hugged her arm, not meeting his gaze. "It isn't your fault."

Kaiba grabbed her wrist and brushed the sleeve of her lavender night shirt up to reveal the blue-green handprint bruised into her delicate skin. Ari was fascinated by the fierce emotions that flickered across his face in that instant as he gently traced the bruises with his eyes and fingers. She was certain then that had Kaiba found Nozaki instead of Sojo, things would have been very ugly. Sojo had been angry, but Seto Kaiba was thinking murder.

"H-he didn't mean it," she said softly in hopes of calming the heat she could feel radiating off of him.

"Why are you defending him," Kaiba demanded, lifting his piercing gaze to her face.

"He just wanted to talk," her voice fell to a whisper under that intimidating stare.

"And what did he talk about?"

"Th-the accident."

"He told you what you wanted to know, didn't he," Kaiba said, his voice once again even and cold. Ari wondered if the warmth she had seen in his eyes just moments ago was merely an illusion after all, something more inspired by the multitudinous emotions trapped in the jewel she wore.

"No." _Not exactly._

"He gave you a reason to fear me, telling you it was my fault," Kaiba growled. "I suppose he said I don't want you to get your memory back, didn't he."

"No," she shook her head, her heart skipping several beats at the dark foreboding glare in his chilling eyes.

"Lies don't become you, Ari, they never did," he warned. "I know you've been looking for a reason to not trust me and he gave you one."

She felt something within her shatter, some restraint around a throbbing mass of anger that she had never been aware even existed. Her pale eyes flashed as she returned his glare.

"Why **should** I trust you," she snapped.

He was startled at first by her vehemence, the shy timid girl having vanished for a mere second. But when his lips curled into a cruel smirk, she instantly regretted her choice.

"Strange that you should ask," his voice dipped dangerously, "when you're lying in my bed."

"I'll leave," she said quickly and jerked herself up, rising panic inspiring her to swift action.

His hold on her wrist tightened and he pulled her back. Loosing her balance she fell startled into the pillows and looked up to meet his grim expression.

"You'll stay," he said firmly. "We both know you can't sleep otherwise."

"I'll sleep with Mokuba," she said defiantly.

Seto's eyes narrowed. "He sees you enough during the day."

Ari blinked in surprise. "You…you're jealous of him!" _Curse my stupid tongue! Where is all of this reckless abandon coming from?_

His head dipped suddenly until he was just inches from her face. Her eyes widened significantly and she trembled.

"I wonder," he spoke softly, his warm breath washing across her skin. "How much do you remember and how much do you hope not to?"

"Don't," she whispered and he smiled slightly at her plea.

"Don't what? Hurt you? I would never hurt you, Ari. You're the one who does the hurting around here."

"What?"

"And you don't even know it," he sighed as he gently brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm in there somewhere," he said and he tapped her on the forehead. "But I guess you would rather remember Mokuba than me."

He rolled away from her then and she stared up surprised at the canopy_. I'm the one that hurts everyone? Why, because I can't remember who I am?_ She swallowed hard. _Am I the reason behind the pain in his eyes?_

The light flickered out and she was left to stare in darkness. She could feel the bed shift as he made himself comfortable and knew she was just as safe here and now as she had been any other time. _Why did I believe that reporter? Because I long to put a face to my fears, but Kaiba doesn't make my heart race in fear. Its panic is different, thrilling, like the moment I first put on this jewel…_ her fingers wrapped around the diamond at her throat and she wondered over the story behind it that inspired such strong emotions within her for a man who was nothing more than a complete stranger. He cared for her, wanted to protect her, and yet…

"Kaiba," she spoke hesitantly into the darkness and wondered if he would answer her at all.

"Yes."

Ari bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "Are you the dragon?"

Seto frowned in the darkness. "I'm afraid you're going to have to figure that out for yourself, Ari."

_But what if you are!_


	15. Once Upon a Broken Memory

Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh nor any of the characters there of. However, all OC's are of my own creation and any who try to steal them from me will suffer death by marshmallow bombardment.

Once Upon a Broken Memory

Chapter 15

Ari stirred in a sweet dream, a slight, dopey smile upon her lips. Seto watched in silent wonder, wanting so much to wake her with a kiss but knowing it would do more damage than it was worth.

_I don't know how much longer I can restrain myself_. It was all he could do not to take her into his arms last night, especially when the fire that had been absent from her ever since the accident blazed in her eyes. Her question had been absurd. Not trust him? Twice she had slept in his bed unmolested, and the second time she had come willingly on her own. She would not have come this third time if she were not certain she would be safe.

No, Ari knew she was safe with him otherwise she would not seek him out to protect her from her nightmares. And what was all that about the Blue Eyes? A nightmare inspired by the drawing she had seen, or was it really her memories taking shape the only way they knew how? She **had** been hurt by the Blue Eyes White Dragon, the hologram overpowered by the fiber-optic prototype. That Nozaki fellow had tried to put ideas into her head, but he knew she wasn't entirely convinced.

His eyes drifted from her serene face to the pendant resting just below the hollow of her throat. Such a child, wearing a necklace to bed as if it were charmed to protect her. She once told him she simply didn't have a place to put it and thus wore it to bed for safekeeping. So he bought her the ebony box, simple and lovely like her. Strange that she had resorted to her old habits now…or maybe not.

Pale eyes fluttered open and stared up at him, still softened by the memory of her dream.

_She used to look at me like that._ "Morning," he spoke softly.

She blinked for a moment and then glanced towards the darkened window. "It's still dark out," she said and looked back at him questioningly.

"Sunrise isn't for another twenty minutes," he explained. "I have to go into work. Have Mokuba bring you in later."

"Do you always go in this early?" she asked and he smirked faintly.

"Yes. Mokuba won't be up for hours still, so go back to sleep."

Fear and hesitation flickered across her face and he felt a gentle stab in his heart. _She doesn't want me to go._

"Do you want me to leave the light on?" he asked gently and with slight amusement.

Ari scowled at him. "That isn't funny."

"I'm not trying to be," he smirked. "I have a pleasant surprise for you later today. Just think about that, okay?"

Ari nodded with resignation and he stood up from the edge of the bed. "Do try to sleep, Ari," he said before stepping through the door and closing it softly behind him.

_In a way I'm glad he waited for me to wake. After last night I thought it would be awkward. But I still have a few more hours to face without him!_ Ari rolled over and stared at the empty space in the bed, his pillow rumpled only slightly as if he had never slept at all. She reached for it and hugged it close to her body, burying her face in his scent and assuring herself that she could survive a few hours of sleep without him as long as his memory remained. And besides, he did leave the light on for her.

* * *

"Duel Monsters?"

Mokuba grinned and laid two decks of cards on the floor before her. "It's the most popular game in the world, Ari. There's tournaments going on constantly and people come from all over the world to participate. Seto was world champion, you know."

"Was?" Ari asked curiously.

Mokuba frowned. "Well, Yugi Motou currently holds the title, but Seto is determined to win it back from him. I guess you can say he's kind of obsessed with defeating Yugi, but that's because he's the only person who has ever defeated him."

"I think I can understand that," Ari smiled. "I would feel the same way if I were him." She folded her legs under her and sat across from him on the floor of her office. "So tell me about this game. If Seto loves it then it must be interesting."

"Okay. You've got your monster cards, magic and trap cards, spell cards, and ritual cards. I'm starting you off with a simple deck so you won't have to worry about ritual cards right now."

Ari listened intently as he explained in detail what each card did. _I can see why Seto loves the game. There's very little room for luck. It's basically based on strategy and skill._

"So did you get all of that?" Mokuba asked finally.

"I think so," she said as she reached for her deck.

"We'll play a match and you just ask if you get lost, okay?"

Ari grinned. "Sounds good." Glancing down at her cards, she selected one and set it in defense mode_. I have the strangest feeling that we've done this before._

Mokuba was tenacious when he played but after the third match, Ari started to win.

"Wow, Ari," he murmured with wide eyes. "You're better than you used to be."

"So we have played this before," she murmured. "I thought it felt familiar."

Her opponent's silence made her glance up after a moment. "Is something wrong, Moki?"

"I'm just curious, Ari," he spoke thoughtfully. "Things seem familiar to you, but do you actually remember any of it?"

"Dr. Saruka said that I'll probably remember it all at once, like a giant wave that overtakes a boat, but there are some things like that program that I remember."

"Oh. Well I hope you remember something soon, Ari." He dropped his gaze to the fresh hand he had drawn.

Ari stared at his down turned face for a moment. "I remember you," she said softly and he glanced up surprised. "I remember you used to wake me up by jumping on my bed."

A rare smile spread across his face. "I did, until you fell out of bed. Then I promised I would never wake you up by jumping on your bed again. Of course you tortured that promise out of me."

She arched a brow. "Tortured you? You mean…like this!"

He squealed as she seized him and proceeded to tickle him mercilessly.

"Stop! Stop!" he cried and laughed frantically.

"You know the words!"

"Uncle! Uncle!"

"Works every time," Ari sighed as she stopped and Mokuba slumped against her gasping for breath.

"Sometimes I really worry about you two," a deep voice spoke and they glanced up.

"Hey, big brother," Mokuba wheezed. "We were just playing Duel Monsters."

Seto brows shot up as he took in the scene. Mokuba laid half on top of Ari, her arms wrapped around him and both laying in an untidy scattering of eighty some cards.

"Not a strategy I'm familiar with, I'm afraid," he murmured with a slight, forced smile. His eyes flickered with an expression Ari remembered from the night before and she hurriedly pushed herself and Mokuba up. Silently she helped him pick up the cards as he excitedly told Kaiba about her progress in the game.

"She's really getting good, Seto," Mokuba grinned as he stood. "How did your meetings go?"

"Well enough," he replied. "Mokuba, Washiro is going to take you home."

"What about Ari?"

"She'll be with me. We might not get home till late, so don't worry, okay?"

Mokuba smiled softly. "Sure thing, Seto. See ya later, Ari."

"Bye, Moki," she called after him, finding herself longing to go with him rather than stay with the brooding CEO.

"Let's go," Kaiba ordered as he tossed her coat to her.

"Where are we going," she asked timidly.

"You'll see."

"You always say that," she scowled. "Why don't you ever…" she faded off when she found him staring at her strangely, his eyes a little wider than usual.

"What?" she asked.

A slight smile quirked his lips. "I do always say that, don't I," he said.

Ari blinked in surprise, the full import of her words settling in her mind, understanding the smile it brought to his face. "Yes, you do," she finally said as she shrugged into her coat and flipped her long hair over the collar.

Seto chuckled softly and turned away from her. _Well, how about that._

"So, are you going to tell me or not?" she asked as she followed him.

"Why should I spoil it," he said evasively as he held the elevator door open for her. The pathetic pout that settled over her features made him laugh and her eyes immediately brightened at his reaction. She decided Seto Kaiba wasn't as scary as everyone thought he was after all.

Sojo drove them, much to her added relief. She knew from experience that the bright-eyed bodyguard would never let any harm befall her. It wasn't a long drive, merely a few blocks from Kaiba Corp headquarters. Sojo stopped the car in front of a quaint apartment building and Kaiba got out, holding the door open for her to follow.

"What is this?" she asked as she stared up at the building.

"Home," Seto said as he offered her a key. "Second floor, 2C."

Ari just stared at the key. "You mean this is where I live?"

Seto rolled his eyes and gently pushed her towards the building. "This is what you wanted, isn't it? To know who you are."

"You just took me by surprise," she said as picked up her pace so he wouldn't have to push her again. He handed her the key when they reached the door and she eagerly unlocked the apartment.

Kaiba always felt the modest apartment was a perfect reflection of Ari Nieche. It was simply furnished, but still felt warm and cozy. He closed the door softly behind him, not wanting to disturb whatever thoughts might be running through her mind in that moment.

_This is my home_, she mused as she stood in the foyer. Two steps took her to the center of the hallway, the living room on her right and the kitchen on her left. She chose the living room first. A jade oriental rug covered the hardwood floor, a marble coffee table on top. The sofa and matching chair were cream suede and Ari wondered how she kept it looking so nice considering her frequent mishaps with ink pens.

A few framed ink drawings decorated the walls and a closer glance confirmed that they were done by her own hand as they were signed Ari. They were beautiful sceneries, but none of them invoked any feelings of familiarity within her like the one in Kaiba's office. Turning from them, she spotted a few frames sitting on the mantel and crossed the room to inspect them.

Seto watched her silently from the arched doorway. He hadn't spent much time in her apartment before, but he knew every corner of it by heart including the three photos she was now staring at. They were the only photographs she had displayed. One was a snapshot of her and Mokuba at the amusement park eating a cotton candy as big as Mokuba's head. She smiled as she stared at it.

The second was a picture she had snapped of himself when he wasn't looking. He didn't like having his picture taken, thus the reason for her not telling him she was taking it. It was an impressive photo, he had to admit. Maybe he was just an imposing figure no matter how you looked at him, but Ari had managed to capture on film the man she admired and loved. _Will she ever look at me the same way again? _Her fingers hovered over the third, hesitant to touch it. _Maybe I should have hidden that one. _

_Is this real?_ Ari felt as though someone was trying to create an ideal life for her, but she wasn't quite certain it was real. She looked happy with Mokuba and that was something she could believe. The boy made her feel alive and she never wanted that feeling to go away. But why did she have a picture of Seto Kaiba, standing alone and lost in thought, looking as formidably strong as he did in life? He was an intimidating, handsome man and if there was a way to make that unshakable strength her own she would love to know.

Her eyes halted on the third picture and she sucked in her breath. _Now this cannot be real! How- how is this possible? I would know, wouldn't I? I would feel it!_

She turned to meet his gaze, her eyes wide and uncertain and his vacant of emotion. _Could this be the secret behind the pain? The longing I see in his gaze, the intimacy I feel in his touch, are they the missing pieces to the puzzle?_

"What am I to you?" she asked.

"Does it matter?"

"It did to her," she said, glancing over her shoulder at the woman in the photo. She was happy, she was in love…she was kissing Seto Kaiba.

"Dr. Saruka thinks it would be unwise to tell you too much."

"I know for a fact you don't always agree with Dr. Saruka," she said.

"This time I do."

She sighed and leaned her elbows on the mantel, dropping her head into her hands as she stared down at the picture. "I don't know what to do with this."

How was she to know what was real and what wasn't? Why should she trust anything that she saw? Would one picture make her remember that she loved him, that she belonged to him? It was too much to hope for and he wouldn't dare. But neither could he believe that she didn't feel something when she looked at him.

Maybe that was the key. If he couldn't make her remember, then maybe he could just make her feel.

Ari glanced up when she heard him take a step. Resolute intention wafted across his expression and she instinctively took a step back. He didn't stop his advance until the wall stopped her retreat.

"W-what are you doing," she asked, her eyes widening as he reached out and braced his hand against the wall beside her. Between him and the corner, there wasn't much room to move.

"Jogging your memory," he murmured as he leaned towards her. Her heart thundered rapidly and her breath quickened as his lips brushed hers. The slight contact was more than he could withstand and he firmly captured her lips with the longing that burned within. She hadn't expected his kiss to be so tender, nor for it to inspire forlorn yearning to swallow her.

Forgetting herself for a moment, her lips followed him when he pulled away. Seto kept his smile to himself. Ari had felt and whether **she** remembered him or not, her heart did.

"Why did you do that," she gasped.

Seto smirked. "Did you mind?"

_I don't understand how you can kindle such feelings inside me when I can't even remember you_. "I'm confused."

He breathed in her sweet vanilla scent and wondered how he had managed to keep his distance for so long. Cool honey couldn't have tasted any better and oh how long he had waited!

"Maybe I can clarify the matter for you," he whispered hoarsely. Her lips parted in to reply and he instantly silenced her.

She was losing herself quickly to the feelings that surged forth. Desire was spreading like wildfire and for a man she barely knew! He sensed the change within her and deepened the kiss and she sighed softly. Warmth swept through her as his hands slipped around her slender waist and pulled her against him. In that moment she became aware of the fierce hunger in his searching lips and firm grasp.

Panic gripped her and she pushed against him, but he paid no attention to her struggle. _No, please no!_ Tears began to stream down her face as she struggled in terror. There was little she could do against his strength and she whimpered fearfully.

The soft cry startled him and he suddenly released her. Immediately she turned her face away, tears glistening down her cheeks. Seto stared at those tears in horrified realization.

He swore sharply and he slammed his fist into the wall. Ari flinched, a startled cry tearing from her throat.

"I'm sorry," he growled as he pushed away from her and began to pace like a caged panther. With one hand clenched in his thick brown hair and eyes wild, he was a riveting sight to behold.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Ari," he said finally.

She curled her hands into her chest as if she could fold in on herself and sunk to her knees against the wall. Her reaction made him panic.

"No. No! Don't do this." She cringed when he approached and kneeled beside her. He reached out to wipe the tears from her face and she closed her eyes and trembled.

Seto immediately dropped his hand. "I hate this. I hate not being able to touch you, to hold you."

Her pale eyes fluttered open and she dared to look up at him. His beautiful eyes were pained with a look she had seen before, felt the first time he held her on a restless night they once shared. The picture was not a lie. The feelings were not a lie. Seto Kaiba and Ari Nieche had been in love… once upon a broken memory.

Now she understood the pain he tried so hard to hide. He **had** lost something important after all. Her.

"If I could remember," she whispered and he raised his hand.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. This is why I didn't want to tell you," he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Ari watched the motion with the faint knowledge that it was more a nervous tick than a meaningless gesture. All these little things she knew: that he never told her where he was taking her, he fired people when he was angry, brandy soothed him after a stressful day, he hated parties, and he always got what he wanted. Did such knowledge based on gut instinct amount to the semblance of memories?

"What happens now?" she asked.

He rested his arm on his knee and stared at her. The tears had dried and her eyes shined with the brilliance they had left. She was too beautiful for words and his heart ached.

"You have a session with Dr. Saruka tomorrow," he said. "Ask her."

_I'm asking you_, she wanted to say but was afraid. She was afraid he might push her away and rebuild his walls higher and thicker than before.

"I've hurt you again," she said softly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't," he said sharply and then his eyes gentled. "It's not your fault, Ari."

She dropped her gaze. "I want to go home."

Seto smiled sadly. "Okay, Ari. We'll go home."


	16. Onto Plan B

Disclaimer: YuGiOh is not mine.

Onto Plan B

Chapter 16

"How did you feel?" Kim Saruka asked curiously.

"Alone," Ari replied. "It did feel familiar, but the whole apartment just had an empty feel to it, like I didn't belong there anymore."

"I see. Go on."

"Well, we didn't stay very long," Ari murmured.

"Why not?"

"Kaiba had some work to do," she shrugged.

"I see. You're really starting to feel comfortable with him, aren't you?"

"I guess I've gotten used to him," she said vaguely.

Kim smiled. "Seto Kaiba isn't exactly the kind of man one 'gets used to', Ari. I can understand if you are still afraid of him. He is very intimidating."

"I'm not afraid of him," Ari returned with slight irritation.

"It is best to admit to our fears, Ari."

"I'm aware of that," Ari replied curtly. "I don't want to talk about Kaiba."

Kim leaned forward in her chair. "Why is that, Ari? You always seem so determined to avoid discussing your benefactor."

Ari bit her lip and stared at her silently.

"Did something happen between you?"

Ari cocked her head. "Why do you ask? Are you expecting something to happen between us?"

Kim sat back and studied her patient carefully. "Where is all this hostility coming from, Ari? It isn't like you."

"How do you know what **is** like me? You only know the blank slate, Doctor. I'm not one that you can write on."

"And what does that mean?" she asked with an arched brow.

Ari stood and walked to the door. Pulling it open, she turned to face Kim. "It means we're done, Doctor."

The blazing eyes, the confident stance, did not belong to a woman missing her entire memory. This was not the same Ari Nieche she had talked to just days before. Something had happened.

"Very well," Kim said as she gathered her attaché case. _Far from it_, she thought as she walked down the hall to Kaiba's office. She knew things were going to get out of hand the minute Ari stopped taking those sedatives.

Kaiba glanced up when she stepped in. Apparently she didn't hide her irritation as well as she thought she did.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kim dropped her case and crossed her arms. "I should be asking you that. I've never seen her so hostile before."

Seto frowned. "Hostile? What did she do?"

"She's exhibiting classic avoidance tactics and has suddenly taken to asking **me** questions. I'm beginning to wonder if she has forgotten who the psychologist really is!"

"It can't be that bad."

"She threw me out, Mr. Kaiba, and I am pretty certain she doesn't want me to come back. I would like to know what provoked this change in her."

_So she didn't tell her after all. Was she ashamed of the kiss we shared? Is she afraid of what Dr. Saruka might say? _

"I believe it is your job to uncover the mystery surrounding her, Doctor. She really threw you out?"

Kim frowned. "That amuses you, doesn't it."

"Perhaps you have done your job better than you planned, Doctor. Give her a few days to calm down. I'm certain she will be needing to talk by then."

"Since when are you telling me how to do my job?"

"Since I hired you. Good day, Dr. Saruka."

She glared at him for a moment before grabbing her case and stalking out of the office, muttering something under her breath he couldn't hear. He smirked for a moment and then frowned. _Hostile? That isn't like Ari. She's only aggressive when the people she cares about are threatened. It never even occurred to her to defend herself against Matzu Omaka until he tried to kill me. Why would she react like that to Dr. Saruka? _

When it came to Ari's behavior, he could not help being curious, especially when she managed to irritate Dr. Saruka so effectively. This change no doubt provoked by the events of the previous day was intriguing, if not a little confusing. Ari was becoming unpredictable.

He had spent the entire night tossing and turning, mourning the absence of her body beside him. Instead of bringing them closer together, the truth had only widened the gulf. She would never be able to look at him, be near him, without remembering the passion that burned beneath the surface. If ever Ari had a reason to be afraid of him before, she certainly did now and she would be certain to keep her distance.

_I'm such an idiot. I've only made things worse by letting my feelings get in the way._ He scowled at the papers on his desk. _Idiot._

"Seto?"

"What is it, Mokuba," he grumbled without looking up.

Mokuba hesitated in the doorway. It seemed liked everyone was in a foul mood today. Ari had locked herself in her room, the doctor had stormed out in a huff, and his brother was burning a hole into the desk with his glare.

Kaiba glanced up when Mokuba didn't reply. "Mokuba?"

"So…where did you and Ari go yesterday?" he ventured to ask.

"I took her to her apartment."

"So why are you in such a bad mood?"

Kaiba scowled again and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"Something bad happened, didn't it."

"Let's just say we'll be keeping our distance for awhile."

Mokuba's blue-violet eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What did you do?"

Seto rotated his chair to stare out the second floor window. Mokuba waited in silence until Seto sighed. "You know something, Mokuba?"

"What?" The softness of his big brother's voice was unnerving.

"I have no idea why that woman loves me, or at least used too."

"You think she doesn't anymore?"

"She isn't the Ari we used to know, Mokuba. Her memories are faint and she doesn't understand what she feels. She's different now. We have to accept that."

Mokuba stared at him thoughtfully. "Well, you can always make her fall in love with you again."

Seto's eyes widened and he turned to look at his little brother. "What?"

"Make her fall in love with you again."

"But I don't even know how I did it the first time!" Seto protested. What a ridiculous idea, making an amnesiac fall in love with him. He didn't know the first thing about wooing a woman.

"I'm sure we can figure out something," Mokuba said as he leaned against Seto's desk. "You can start with giving her flowers maybe, like roses."

"Ari doesn't like roses," Seto said absently.

"What does she like?"

"Jasmine."

Mokuba grinned. "See, you know her so well!"

Seto's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Maybe there was something to this. "I don't know, Mokuba. It doesn't seem right."

"So it's better for her to live in the dark? The sooner she remembers the sooner things can go back to the way they were." Mokuba's eyes were wide and honest. "I want to see you smile again, Seto."

_Is it possible? Is it really possible to make Ari fall in love with me again? Does lightening ever strike twice? If it will get her back in my arms, I'll make it happen._

"What else do you have in mind, Mokuba?"

* * *

Ari crumpled up the paper into a ball and tossed it over her shoulder. It tumbled off the already overflowing trashcan to rest with the others. With a frustrated sigh, she stared at the blank piece of paper before her. _It's on the tip of my brain. Why can I not remember it?_

Her pen scratched over the paper as she tried to pull the image from her mind. Lines and curves, measurements and equations equaling something of substantial power and yet just…out… of reach. The night spent in solitude had deluged her with nightmares of intolerable magnitude and confusion and she had latched onto what could only be a memory and tried to drive it out of her head and onto the paper to no avail. Again she crumpled up the paper and tossed it over her shoulder in irritation.

_This is useless. Bad enough I didn't get a lick of sleep and now I can't even focus on one little detail._ But she was determined to regain every last bit of memory no matter the pain. If only she could remember what she was suppose to feel for the man with sorrowful eyes… no, of that there was no confusion. There was no mistaking the feelings he aroused in her, feelings she should not have for a man she barely knew.

She wanted to remember how they met, how she fell in love with him, their first date, their first kiss. She needed to remember because, because…

Ari pushed away from the desk and walked over to the window. Winter was moving along ignorant of her misery. It didn't care that she was missing so many pieces of herself. It didn't matter to anyone outside of the Kaiba mansion.

Glancing down, she began to thoughtfully trace over the scars on her hands as if the pattern might give the answers she sought. It was a habit she had taken up because more than all else those scars intrigued her. For a reason she could not explain, she feared asking about them. She was afraid that it might be a piece of the puzzle she was better off not knowing about. _But can I ever be a whole person again if even one memory remains absent? If I ask him, will he tell me?_

That was an answer she might never know. She was afraid to meet those brilliant blue eyes after the ardent kiss they had shared. They might beg something of her that she could not give, no matter how much she wanted to. Stepping away from the window, she flopped onto her bed and stared up at the canopy wearily. She was so tired, but afraid to sleep. Even though she was given to searching her dreams now for hints to her past, she still feared the confrontation.

She missed the comfort of sleeping in his bed, knowing that she would be safe from the monsters for just a little while. Only once had he been there when she woke and it hadn't been as awkward as she expected. It had been nice, really_. I wonder what it would be like to wake up in his arms…_ She blushed and rolled onto her side to stare out the balcony doors. _Foolish girl, wanting what isn't yours. You will only hurt him more when you don't feel as he does. He at least remembers the reality._

Ari sighed and closed her eyes. Reality. It could be such a twisted thing.

* * *

The tall man scowled at the coffee shop window. "This isn't working. It's time to take things to the next level."

Ito Nozaki frowned thoughtfully. "What is the next level?"

"I'm not sure. We'll have to ask the boss what he wants to do. Ari Nieche seems to be recovering her memories and I get the feeling things are just peachy keen between her and Kaiba. She still has some of her phobic issues, but she's getting stronger and more in control with each passing day and she trusts him."

"It should have happened differently."

"There was no telling what would have happened. That fiber-optic cable had never been tested before so we couldn't be certain how powerful or weak the energy surge would be." The man reached for his coffee. "If anything is certain, there's been a whole lot of suffering going on in that house."

Nozaki reached for the pot and filled his own cup with hot steaming Java. "I'll contact the boss immediately. I imagine things are about to get interesting."

The man grinned. "I can use a little excitement in my life."


	17. Love Me Again

Disclaimer: Of course neither YuGiOh's characters nor its original plots are mine however the OC's within this story are entirely of my own creation and cannot be used by anyone else without my permission.

I read on someone else's fic that someone had taken the author's work (a fanfiction) and was posting it on another site under their own name without pointing out who the true author was or asking permission from said author. I just want to take this moment to say that plagiarism (the act of taking and using the thoughts, writings, inventions, etc of another person and passing it off as your own) is a serious crime and even if you write merely for fun without any intention of turning professional, you should never permit yourself to even dabble in plagiarism. It simply is not worth it. Plagiarizing is not only an insult to the person you steal from, but it is also an insult to yourself. And if you mess with it just a little bit, you soon will find yourself in deeper than you planned. I know we often make jokes about the disclaimers (I do it too because it gets boring saying the same thing all the time) but I don't think many of us really consider how important it really is. Anyway, it just really touched me personally because writing is more than just a hobby to me and I can truly sympathize with the author it was done to. So to you newly aspiring writers whether it be for pleasure or professional pursuits: keep both your creativity and integrity intact and do not cross that line.

Love Me Again

Chapter 17

The mansion was unusually quiet when Ari stepped in the door. Granted the mansion was always quiet, but Ari had grown accustomed to the comings and goings of the household staff and security guards. It felt like the entire building was holding its breath the moment she stepped into the grand entryway.

Mokuba skipped through the door behind her and the house suddenly breathed again with an imagined sigh. Ari shook her head with a wry smile. _Now I know I'm imagining things._ It had been a mildly interesting day to say the least. She had spent it in her office, pondering the blueprints and calculations that sparked excessive curiosity and little else within her mind. The only thing capable of distracting her from this new found interest was the ever fascinating Seto Kaiba.

He was smiling. Well, not in the manner most people would smile. There was a mischievous gleam in those glorious eyes that by instinct she knew meant trouble for everyone not Seto Kaiba, and whatever he was plotting he was well pleased with it. From the moment she met that scheming gaze, she could think of nothing else. He always occupied her mind, but not even for one minute could she shake his face from her vision. Those eyes…she could fall into them forever.

To top it off, Mokuba himself bore an endless grin and this only served to confirm her suspicion that the Kaiba brothers were up to something. When she questioned Mokuba, he merely grinned wider.

"Your brother seemed really busy today," she said. "Do you think he will make it home for dinner?"

"I think Seto has bigger plans," Mokuba grinned.

"Is there something you care to share with me, Moki?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing comes to mind. I'm gonna work on my computer. I'll see ya later, Ari."

She stood wide-eyed in shock as he left her standing in the foyer. Mokuba never abandoned her like that before!

With a sigh, she shrugged and made her way up to her room. El Jiura greeted her smiling in the hallway.

"Did you have a nice day, Ms Ari?"

"Yes, El. Thank you. Why are you so happy?"

"Oh, its nothing Ms Ari," she shrugged, her smile growing wider in a perfect reflection of Mokuba's.

_What's up with everyone today_, Ari wondered as she reached to open her door. A sweet scent enveloped her as she stepped into the room and she breathed in sharply, fully embracing the fragrance. Walking into the room as if born on a cloud, she found herself in a garden of jasmine. Spinning slowly, she turned to see El and Mokuba standing in the doorway with smiles that could not spread any wider.

"What is this?" she asked in wonder.

They only grinned and she decided if she wanted any answers, she would have to search for them amid the gorgeous bouquets. Everywhere she turned she was greeted with the beauty and alluring scent of the charming white flowers filling every corner of her room. But amid them, she caught sight of an elongated box tied with a blue silk ribbon on her bed.

Hesitantly, she crossed to the bed and plucked at the ribbon_. I'm terrified at what I'm going to find. _Pulling the lid off, she let it fall away and stared at the small card sitting on top of the tissue paper. Scrawled with elegant flare it simply said "7 PM" signed with a graceful SK. The message was clear enough if what she suspected lay beneath the tissue paper.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled back the layers to reveal a silvery white satin gown. "Oh my," she whispered and then turned to look at Mokuba and El.

"I'll prepare your bath," El said quickly and disappeared into the bathroom. Ari's pale eyes immediately fell to Mokuba.

"All right, Mokuba. What is this?" she demanded with her hands on her hips.

"If I were you," he said with a smirk. "I wouldn't be late." With that he too made a quick getaway and Ari was left to stand disarmed and dismayed amid a field of jasmine.

* * *

Seto checked his watch anxiously, knowing he had little to worry about. There was no reason to be nervous…if you weren't the CEO of the most powerful gaming corporation in the world about to entertain the most difficult client of his entire career. Who would have ever thought that Seto Kaiba would be nervous about dining with a timid young woman who happened to hold his heart in the scarred palms of her hands?

Movement caught his eye and said heart froze. 'Every cloud has a silver lining' came to mind and she was it. Like a swan, she seemed to glide as she walked and he silently congratulated himself on his choice. The satin gown rippled about her as if she were a diamond herself and light reflected as she walked in sparkles of blue, green, and pink. It was a slinky number with jeweled spaghetti straps and a bodice that hugged her shape, the long skirt free flowing with her steps. Ari had a form a man simply had to appreciate.

Knowing how self-conscious she had always been about that form, and the fact that it was the dead of winter after all, Seto had been very careful in his selection. The ensemble came with a matching satin jacket of three quarter length sleeves to cover her shapely shoulders but not quite conceal the fact that her dress was slightly revealing beneath. It was tantalizing to every man in the room and his heart swelled with the pride of possession. Her hair had been pulled up away from her face, but the mass of curls tumbled down the length of her back. A smile tugged at his lips as he noted the white blossom carefully tucked in golden brown waves just above her left ear.

Even fine feathers could not disguise her humble beginnings for as she walked, she wrung her fingers anxiously like a timid child. Seto's smile broke free at the sight and when she met his gaze, an edge of her tension faded.

The maitre d' held her chair for her and soon she found herself alone with her tumultuous thoughts and the object of those thoughts. Kaiba had effectively disarmed her from the start with the irresistible display of glorious jasmine. What woman could remain aloof when showered with her favorite flower let alone a jewel of a gown and the unmistakable command of an invitation by the one and only Seto Kaiba?

"You look beautiful, Ari," he finally said.

"Thank you." She fidgeted with her napkin for a moment and then finally raised her pale eyes to his. "So is this business or pleasure?"

Kaiba arched a brow at her forward words and smirked. "I felt that you needed a break. You've been working too hard, from what I hear."

"Hardly," she laughed. "I can't make heads or tails of my own research."

Her musical laughter swept away his anxiety and he gazed at her intently. "Tell me about it."

"Really?"

"Sure. I want to know what you've been up to."

"Does this mean you'll answer some of my questions for a change?" she asked warily.

Seto smirked and reached for his wine. "We'll see."

By the time dinner arrived, the conversation had drifted quite far from the subject of research and Ari found for a moment she no longer cared about the details of her past. When he spoke she was entranced knowing that Kaiba never spoke so freely of himself as he did now in her company. She thirsted to know everything about him, about this man that she lo—

"Mokuba must be very proud of you," she smiled. "I know I would be."

"Mokuba is easy to please," Seto remarked with a distinct note of fondness that always seemed to creep into his voice when he spoke of his little brother.

"Have you ever done anything for yourself?" Ari asked suddenly and he blinked in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"You have lived your whole life to make Mokuba happy. Every sacrifice you've made has been for him. I would do the same if he were my little brother. But haven't you ever done anything for just yourself?"

"I'm doing it now," he said softly and her calm heart fluttered in a startled panic.

Ari smiled warily as she sat back and crossed her arms. "Seto Kaiba, I get the suspicion you are trying to make me fall in love with you."

His eyes were unnervingly calm and steady as they held her own for one silent moment. "I do hate chasing what is already mine," he spoke quietly and Ari felt a sensational shiver finger her spine.

She wasn't going to dispute him on the matter of ownership. Her heart told her it would be a losing battle because it proclaimed him right. No one else effected feelings within her as this man did. From the moment she had awakened in the hospital her fate had been held firmly in his hands, bending to his will and she had all too easily submitted to it without thought.

"Do you always get what you want?" she dared to ask.

"Are you offering me a challenge?"

_He's playing with me,_ she realized with both amusement and consternation. Her previous concern about where the night might lead now bore itself into full-fledge alarm. The last time she had seen that set look of intent in his eyes he had kissed her. Seto Kaiba was a man who owned things, had little patience, and always got what he wanted and at that moment his focus was only on her.

Ari glanced away too quickly to see concern filter into that steel gaze.

_I scared her again. I told Mokuba this wouldn't work. I'm not good at the chivalry act and I sure could use some of it right about now._ Too quickly, Ari was retreating into her shell before his very eyes. For a moment he had hoped she would stand up to him as she used to do, but her fire was still too reserved.

"Ari."

She glanced up hesitantly and he offered her a slight smile.

"It's okay," he told her.

"You are a cruel man, Seto Kaiba," she found herself saying before she could stop herself. Much to her further surprise, he grinned.

"That I am."

"And you're proud of it?"

"I'm a kitten compared to Gozaburo. I'm certain you would not have liked him at all and you are far more forgiving of people than I am."

"I suppose it is necessary to being a corporate giant, that you must sacrifice your humanity," she ventured and Kaiba laughed.

"And there is the Ari I know. I knew she was in there somewhere."

She smiled tentatively, for the first time seeing the woman she used to be through his eyes. It was fire he had been waiting for. Then fire she would give him…if she could find the courage to meet those deep blue eyes and not fall before she was ready.

"You like to provoke people, don't you."

"I like to see the best they have to offer," he returned.

"Have I lived up to your expectations?"

Seto gazed at her thoughtfully, tracing her innocent features with his eyes. "You never cease to surprise me."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," she decided with a slight laugh.

"You should."

"So tell me what you thought of me the first time we met."

"I thought you were a foolish little girl."

"So flattering. Was our second meeting better?"

"You pissed me off," he admitted with a slight grin. "Very few people ever dared to stand up to me like you did."

"What did I do?" She found it hard to believe that she ever had the guts to confront and anger him on purpose.

"First you rejected me, then you mocked me."

"And you let me get away with it?"

"Not by any means," he admitted with a secretive smirk.

Ari studied him curiously. "So how did I go from ticking you off to being acceptable dinner company?"

"You might be foolish and naïve, Ari, but I've never met anyone quite so stubborn."

She glanced down at her hands. "I'm sorry I'm not the woman you remember."

"Don't do that," his voice was notably sharp and she flinched. "Don't ever do that again."

"I—"

"Just be who you are, Ari, and make no excuses. It isn't you."

She nodded hesitantly, but could not meet his gaze.

"Ari, look at me."

Ever obedient, she did to find his eyes softer than she was used to.

"You once told me that you didn't want to be afraid anymore. You decided that, Ari," he told her, steel in his voice lending force to his words. "So don't be afraid anymore."

"Have you never feared for anything?" she asked softly.

Pained memory swept across his face. "Yes, I have."

She had not expected a positive answer from him, for he seemed invincible. Leaning slightly towards him, she gazed up at him through her long lashes. "What could you ever be afraid of?"

_Losing you._ But he could not bring himself to say the words. "You never could be satisfied with one answer," he spoke with amusement.

"I hate it that you know more about me than I do," she admitted with a childish pout.

Seto chuckled softly and Ari decided he could be quite pleasant when he chose to be.

"Might I be excused?" she asked as she reached for her tiny purse.

"Just this once," he agreed with an amused smile.

"Generous as well. You are a catch," she said wryly as she pushed her chair out. She was all too aware of his gaze as well as several others as she rounded the edge of the dimly lit dance floor. She could feel the warmth in her cheeks and shortly confirmed the maidenly blush that seemed to have made itself permanent for the evening. There were so many hidden meanings in Kaiba's words, she needed a moment to sort through them.

_Does he truly love me or is it a matter of possession? He still won't tell me how we met, or how I came to work for him. Surely I had something substantial to offer otherwise I never would have caught his eye or his heart. For some reason, I feel knowing this to be vital to any kind of progression in our relationship._ Her cheeks reddened even more at the thought of the fact that they had a relationship. His desire was not purely professional, of that she was certain. There was passion in his penetrating eyes when he gazed at her with intention that made her knees tremble.

Could she trust him with her heart, something so fragile and tender in the hands of someone so strong and at times cruel? Would he be merciful if she offered it to him? Did she dare?

When she had calmed the color in her cheeks, she ventured back out to rejoin him only to find he was no longer alone. Her steps hesitated at the sight of the other couple, but when Kaiba's eyes found her, she forced courage into her steps. _Don't be afraid anymore. He makes it sound so simple._

"Ari, this is Corrin Abachi," Seto introduced her to the other businessman. "He's an overseas distributor."

"Pleased to meet you," Ari smiled as she bravely offered her hand. Abachi swept it up to his lips for a soft kiss.

"The pleasure is all mine. I've heard a lot about you, Ms Nieche."

"I deny everything," she said with a straight face and he laughed.

Corrin Abachi was a charming man with sharp features that pleased the eye, a laugh that pleased the heart, and a voice that could challenge Kaiba's in its dark appeal. His arm treat was a first class beauty. Ari suddenly felt like a lowly servant girl who had dared to borrow her mistress's finery for a stolen evening of excitement compared to her.

"Intelligent and charming," Abachi observed with amusement. "I'm envious, Kaiba."

"Ari is a valuable employee of Kaiba Corp," Kaiba replied evenly. "And responsible for Kaiba Corp's greatest development."

"Sounds tedious," the blonde treat murmured as she fluttered her eyes at Kaiba. "All that work and no play?"

"Jiana has a point," Abachi chuckled. "But you have me intrigued, Kaiba. Might I buy a piece of your time tomorrow?"

"I have an opening at two," Kaiba replied and from practice, Ari knew he was pleased with the outcome of this chance meeting.

"Two it is," Abachi turned a twinkling smile upon Ari. "Now I will steal your associate for a dance, if you don't mind."

Ari met Kaiba's gaze uncertainly, panic rising in her eyes.

Kaiba smiled reassuringly at her and she felt her heart skip. "That would be up to her."

Rock and a hard place. Not wanting to disappoint Kaiba, Ari agreed and allowed Abachi to lead her onto the sparse dance floor. A fleeting backward glance showed the gorgeous Jiana moving into position to "pounce" on Kaiba and Ari felt a sharp stab of jealousy at the woman's audacity.

"How long have you been working for Kaiba Corp," a deep voice drew her back to her dance partner and she offered a faint smile.

"Not quite a year yet."

He smiled warmly at her and as she gazed up into his sharp brown eyes, she suffered the acute sensation that she had met him before.

"What exactly do you do for Seto Kaiba?"

Ari tensed. "I-I'm not exactly sure."

He stared at her curiously and she forced another smile.

"I suffered an accident a few months ago and I have amnesia." Even as she said it she wanted to laugh at the absurd sound of it.

"Oh, yes. I read about that. So that was you. I'm terribly sorry to hear about that. It would seem you are doing better."

"Oh, yes. Kaiba has taken excellent care of me and I have managed to regain some of my memories." Ari found herself relaxing as she spoke. The man seemed unnaturally easy to talk to.

"He would be a fool not to. You are not one to be tossed aside, I assure you, Ari."

Ari felt her cheeks warm as his voice dipped.

"But I wonder…"

"Yes?" she glanced up expectantly.

"How much do you remember about Seto Kaiba himself?"

"What do you mean?"

Abachi gazed down at her with a disarming smile. "Are you certain he is the one you should trust?"

Before she could reply, he spun her suddenly and her other hand was caught, spinning her back into the arms of another. Panic rose in her chest and she instinctively tried to push herself free, but the grip on her waist tightened firmly.

"Ari." She felt the warmth of his breath against her temple and she sighed softly in relief. She should have recognized his touch, but every touch was still foreign, still frightening, and his was no different. But her heart warred with her fears, knowing the voice of the man it longed for.

Recovering from her surprise, she dared to glance up into his steady gaze. "You can dance," she murmured.

Seto chuckled softly. "I'm a man of many talents."

"I never imagined dancing to be one of them," she admitted.

"I have had need for it on occasion."

Ari glanced sideways at Abachi who now danced with the enchanting Jiana. _Kaiba must have brought her onto the floor so he could switch partners. Possessive and protective._

"What will you be showing him tomorrow?" she asked.

"I will give him a taste of the holographic enhancement program we've been working on."

"Holographic enhancement. That sounds familiar," she murmured.

"It's your program," he told her and she looked up surprised.

"Oh." They danced in comfortable silence for a moment. "I want to be there," she said suddenly and she felt his arm tense around her.

"I'm not sure that would be such a good idea, Ari."

"But you said it's my program."

"And I'm the boss. So when I say no, I mean no."

"You didn't say no. You just said that it wouldn't be a good idea."

"I'm saying no now," he spoke firmly and she dropped her gaze.

_What doesn't he want me to know? Is Abachi right? Is Seto someone I really can trust when I know he is deliberately hiding something from me? If I know the truth, will it change how I feel?_


	18. The Art of Intimidation

Disclaimer: I have nor make no claims to YuGiOh or its characters. Only the plot of this story and the OC's are my own creation.

The Art of Intimidation

Chapter 18

"Did you forget something at the office?" Ari asked as the limo stopped in front of Kaiba Corp headquarters. It was a little before ten when they had left the restaurant and Domino City had quieted to welcome the cold night.

"I want to show you something," he said as he got out of the car and offered her his hand.

"Why must you always be so secretive," she asked, letting him pull her from the car to stand beside him.

"Does it bother you?"

"Yes."

"Good."

She would have rolled her eyes if she were not so aware of his hand still clasping hers as they walked up the steps. Did he fear she might bolt? Where would she run to?

He offered no explanations and she asked no further questions as he unlocked the door and nodded to the security guard in the foyer. Ari had enough thoughts to keep her company in the absence of conversation. In no uncertain terms, Kaiba had made it clear where she stood in his life. Plain and simple, she was his yet he was wary of how far he pushed that claim upon her beyond his possessive attitude.

People she barely even knew were persistent in advising her to not trust Seto Kaiba and he gave her reason to question him for all that he would not tell her. But her heart…

The elevator slowed to a stop and opened on the top floor of the tower into darkness.

"Stay here," Kaiba ordered as he suddenly disappeared.

Ari reached after him in alarm but he was already gone and she was alone in the dark. Pressing her hand to her chest to steady the reckless beat of her heart, she strained her eyes to focus on something other than blackness.

"Kaiba," she spoke shakily just seconds before dim light flooded the room. She blinked startled and her eyes refocused to take in the large room. There was a small duel arena in the center of the floor, surrounded by numerous tables and carved chairs. It was an elegant banquet hall on the top floor of Kaiba Corp headquarters.

"We use this space for corporate functions," Kaiba explained as he reappeared by her side.

"I'm guessing that doesn't happen often," she said as she took her coat off and draped it over a nearby chair.

"Too often, sometimes," he murmured as he watched her. The dim overhead light softened Ari's appearance, giving an almost dream-like radiance to the already enchanting woman. He draped his coat over hers and followed her wayward walk at a distance, amused by her pleasure in the room. It amazed him how easy to please she was. He wanted to give her everything, and having done that, give it to her all over again just so he could see that look of guileless wonder in her eyes.

"Come here, Ari," he beckoned and she immediately abandoned her exploration to join him at the floor to ceiling window.

"Wow," she whispered as she stepped up beside him.

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

Domino City was a sea of stars, winking and glittering as far as the eye could see. Ari felt like she had been vaulted into the sky and in her wonder reached out to touch the lights, startled when her hand touched glass.

Seto chuckled softly at her expression. "I know the feeling."

"It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," she admitted.

"The entire world at your feet," he mused and she found herself memorized by the deep purr of his voice.

"I could easily believe that," she whispered.

"It could be the truth," he said behind her and heat shot through her body as his hands alighted on her shoulders.

"W-what do you mean?"

His fingers grazed over her bare skin as he pulled her satin jacket off her shoulders, the soft material gliding down the length of her arms like water. The jacket slipped from his fingers as he brushed her thick curls aside and placed a tender kiss on her shoulder.

"The whole world," he murmured as he kissed her shoulder again. "At your feet." His arm slipped around her waist and her stomach clenched in excited alarm, her breath coming up short at his kisses left a trail of fire across her skin. Her head tilted with little encouragement as his feathery kisses sought the flesh of her throat.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" she managed to gasp through her shortening breaths.

He reached up and turned her face towards him. She was so slight in his arms, tense with uncertainty and fear but her eyes shimmered with anticipation. A devilish gleam darkened his gaze as he stared down at her helpless in his embrace.

"The thought never occurred to me," he admitted as his voice dipped dangerously, "until now."

Seto's gaze fell to her trembling lips, amused that she perceived what would come next and could do nothing to stop him. Always his touch had frightened her, but the kiss…it was a mingling of souls. And hers was delicious.

Pliant and innocent, she submitted to his kiss. He had stacked the deck against her and she never had a prayer from the moment she stepped into that room of jasmine. Did he plan for the evening to end just like this? Had she been an unwitting player from the start?

His hunger was restrained, she could feel it in his careful touch. This man could be ruthless and merciless when he chose to but in this moment when he had complete control, he treated her with tender regard. Ari suspected he was searching her out, even as when he had baited her at dinner.

When she continued submissive, he turned her fully towards him, trapping her securely against his body. In slight protest she fisted her hands against his chest, but her thoughts of struggle shredded apart as he deepened the kiss. He tenderly coaxed her unconditional surrender, finding she was not as shattered within as everyone believed. Ari might claim she felt nothing, but her heart could not lie.

He left her a moment to catch her breath as he nuzzled her neck and breathed deeply of the jasmine scent that clung to her.

Ari thought she was going to faint from the tidal wave of emotions he had unleashed upon her. Had he not held her in such a tight embrace, she would have sunk to her knees, weakened by the passion she ought not feel. _How can I keep my head when with one kiss he unravels me completely?_

"Kaiba," she whispered desperately.

"Don't call me that," he said suddenly and she swallowed hard at the emotion in his voice. "I hate it when you call me that."

"I-I'm sorry."

He sighed wearily and drew back to stare down at her with soft eyes. "Somewhere in that pretty head of yours lies all the answers. I'm as frustrated as you are, Ari."

"What happens if I never remember?" she asked.

A familiar expression of pained sorrow shaded his eyes as he leaned his forehead against hers. "Then we will just have to start from the beginning again, like we did tonight."

She understood then; the flowers, the dress, dinner. He had given in to that what if. But he still remembered the love he shared with the Ari of before. She could feel it in his kiss and she so desperately wanted to give him that part of her that he longed for.

"I'm scared," she admitted, tears glistening in her eyes.

Seto gently tilted her chin up and kissed her sweetly. "Don't be," he whispered. "Everything will work out."

"How can you be so confident?"

He grinned and his dark eyes sparkled. "Because I know what I want, and I always get what I want."

"Always?" she was surprised her voice didn't shake.

Seto chuckled softly as he pulled away from her. "Always."

Ari watched him thoughtfully as he kneeled to pick up her satin jacket. "Has no one stood against you."

"Some have tried," he said as he stood and draped the jacket over her shoulders. "Including you."

She shivered. He was so certain of the future that she could not help but believe him when he swore everything would work out. The night had affirmed one simple truth into her heart. Whether she remembered her past or not, her future was with Seto Kaiba. He alone had determined this and while the sensible woman that always seemed present trembled at this possibility, her heart embraced it.

But as he led her down from the tower, an obstinate voice suddenly rang out inside her head, foreign yet strangely familiar_. __**Always gets what he wants? Well, we'll just see about that!**_

* * *

It was hours before she fell asleep. She just lay on her bed with a stupid grin reveling in the scent of jasmine. The flowers were beautiful and how did he ever know that her favorite flower was…of course. Kaiba knew everything about her that she did not and while it had long since been unsettling, she now found it oddly comforting.

He talked of starting over and to do so would be so simple, for him. Once again he would have what he had lost, everything that he wanted. She would be the one starting over, not Kaiba. It would be as if nothing had changed for him. It wasn't what **she **wanted.

She wanted to remember her father and mother. She wanted to remember the day she stood toe to toe with Seto Kaiba and mocked him to his face. She wanted to **be** that woman, the one who wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in, the one with fire in her eyes and heart, the one Seto Kaiba fell in love with.

_**Then be that woman and make no excuses!**_Ari sat up startled by the forceful voice that had suddenly made itself known earlier that night. Was it really that simple? Kaiba said he always got what he wanted simply because he knew what he wanted. He made it happen.

Ari turned towards the bouquet of jasmine closest to her bed and pulled a blossom from the others. _If he can do it, why can't I?_ Plucking a petal loose, she rubbed it softly and thoughtfully between her fingers, the sweet scent washing over her. _These numbers and equations that assault my every waking minute must mean something. Kaiba told that Abachi fellow at the restaurant about something I had created. He called it a holographic enhancement program. What's a holographic enhancement program? Wait, Mokuba mentioned something about this. Yes, the program on my computer that has similarities to his computer's base program, I remember now. Seven layers interlocking to serve one purpose…holograms…_

She shook her head in irritation and frowned at the flower in her hand. _How does one enhance a hologram? I thought they were already developed to their highest level of efficiency. Obviously it is something of extreme value to Kaiba. And…_ she stroked the flower thoughtfully_…it's a total taboo subject with him. Why?_

Ari smiled suddenly, confident as she had never felt before. "And there we have it," she spoke to the garden of jasmine.

* * *

Excuse me," Ari stopped the first person she saw when she stepped off the elevator. "I'm looking for Mr. Azuma. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Yes, Ms Nieche. He should be in his office, just three doors around the next corner."

"Thank you," she smiled as she stepped past him, forgetting for once to be surprised that he knew who she was. In the search that had led her down to the eight floor labs, she had discovered that everyone in the entire KC headquarters tower knew who she was. So she and Kaiba were more than just an item, she realized. He didn't seem the kind of man to have a fling with an employee, let alone allow it to be known to his entire company. It made her wonder even more about where their relationship had been going before she lost her memory.

Her search had taken her throughout the tower, up and down so many times she had lost count and she had struck out twice. Both Kazu and Inou, two of the three men who apparently had worked with her prior to the accident, were presently out of town. It had been a stroke of luck that she had stumbled upon their names at all since she still didn't know any of the details of the accident or even what she had been working on. All she had were shadows of images haunting her dreams. But soon, she would have answers.

She tapped tentatively on the open door and stepped in as the middle-aged man looked up. His gray eyes alighted on her in surprise and he stood up rapidly.

"Ms Nieche! This is a surprise!"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Azuma."

"Not at all. Please come in," he shifted nervously. "Does Mr. Kaiba know you're down here?"

"I don't think so. Am I not suppose to be?"

"Well, we were instructed not to bother you."

Ari smiled warmly at the scientist. "I see. Are you busy? I have some questions."

His eyes lit up, seeing that this woman before him was not the timid creature all had been warned to avoid. "Of course! Please sit down!"

She took the seat he offered across from his desk and spread out the paper she had tucked under her arm. "Can you tell me what this is?"

He looked up at her warily. "So it's true then, about your memory?"

"I'm afraid so," she smiled tentatively. "Can you help me?"

"I will do all that I can, Ms Nieche."

"Then start with the night I had my accident."

* * *

"She found Azuma, sir."

Kaiba looked up at the bodyguard from his desk. "How?"

Sojo shrugged. "Security tells me she's been all over the building looking for Kazu and Inou as well. It would seem she's onto something, sir."

"She went alone?"

"I offered to accompany her, sir, but she said it wasn't necessary."

Seto grinned, much to the stoic bodyguard's surprise. "Inquisitive and independent. Sounds like her. Is she still with Azuma?"

"Going on four hours, sir."

Kaiba sat back in his chair. "Four hours?" He frowned thoughtfully and glanced at the clock. "Has Mr. Abachi arrived yet?"

"No sir. It is only ten minutes to two, sir."

Kaiba pushed himself out of his chair and strode towards the door. "When Mr. Abachi arrives, settle him in Ari's office. Then come back and wait for me here."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Ari massaged her temples gently.

"Are you alright, Ms Nieche?" Azuma asked with concern when he saw the action.

"Lately I've been getting these headaches when I think too hard. You have given me a great deal to consider, Mr. Azuma."

"I hope I haven't spoken out of line," he murmured. "Mr. Kaiba was very clear about us not troubling you."

"I wanted to know, Mr. Azuma," she glanced up. "Please do not worry yourself over this."

"But if he did not tell you himself—"

"Mr. Kaiba is a very busy man," Ari smiled, "and I came to you."

"I hope I was helpful."

Ari's gaze fell to the blueprint that lay out between them. Azuma had told her a great deal about the overpowered fiber-optic cable in Kaiba Corp's duel disk and dueling system. He had avoided most of the details about the actual accident and she suspected there was something of vital importance that he hid from her. Everyone told her the same thing. Power surge. Why did no one want her to know the details?

Since he seemed exceedingly uncomfortable talking about that day, she moved on to the endless calculations filtering through her mind. Azuma instantly brightened and readily explained to her bit by bit the construction of the duel disk and the incorporation of the fiber-optic cable she apparently had constructed to support the holographic enhancement program she had written. The possibilities amazed her. Solid holograms? It didn't seem possible but Azuma's no-nonsense expression as he talked assured her it was a reality she had brought about.

It had fascinated her when he shared the calculations from the preliminary test on the rate of data-transfer that had nearly proved fatal to her. And much to Azuma's surprise, she gave him the answer.

"How long will it take to construct that limitor?" she asked him.

"We will have to run it by Mr. Kaiba first."

"Run what by me?"

Ari stiffened and glanced over her shoulder. She hated it when he crept on her like that.

"Ms Nieche may have solved the power surge problem, sir."

Ari rubbed her shoulders self-consciously when those powerful blue eyes settled on her.

"Really?" he asked evenly.

"It's not for certain," she said hesitantly as she picked up the paper she had been scribbling on. "Mr. Azuma showed me the readings they got from the test and I just thought…"

She offered the page to him shyly and nervously wrung her fingers as he scanned the equations. They couldn't be right. What was she thinking, half her memories gone to the wind and she dares to think that she could possibly have anything to offer to this brilliant man—

"Remarkable," he said suddenly.

"Really?"

He handed the page to Azuma. "See that they start on this right away."

"Yes, sir."

Seto's heart skipped a beat when he glanced down at her and saw shy pride shinning in her pale eyes. _This woman is my undoing._

"Are you done?" he asked her and she blinked in surprise.

"Uh, sure. Why?"

"Let's go."

She obediently followed him into the hall. _Is he angry with me? He seems upset. Is he upset? I wonder if he's upset… __**Oh, shut up, Ari!**_ She smiled slightly to herself. _I like this new voice. Or is it an old one?_

The elevator doors opened and she followed him in. Glancing down at her watch, her eyes brightened. "It's two o'clock," she announced.

"I know," Kaiba grumbled.

"Is Mr. Abachi here?" she asked.

"I believe so."

Ari glanced up at him, noting the firm set of his jaw. _**No excuses**__._ "I want to be there."

"We've already discussed this, Ari," he said evenly without glancing at her.

"There was never a discussion. You just simply decided—"

"And my decision remains the same," he interrupted her sharply.

"It's my program," she snapped. "I deserve to be involved."

"The program belongs to Kaiba Corp and as I am Kaiba Corp, that makes it mine."

_Possession._ The thought cut through her sharply and she wasn't so sure it applied only to the program in question.

_How much do I remember about this man? What is it he doesn't want me to know?_ Her eyes widened slightly. Is it possible that before the accident, she had not been in love with Seto Kaiba after all? Was all of this a ruse to disguise his own unrequited love? Was he taking advantage of her missing memories to once again secure what he desired? Because Seto Kaiba always got what he wanted.

Pale eyes narrowed and she folded her arms defiantly across her chest, ignoring the disagreeing pain in her heart. She was too angry to take notice of fledgling feelings.

"As I recall, I am a valuable employee of Kaiba Corp and responsible for its greatest development. Those are words from your own mouth, Kaiba."

There was a noticeable eye twitch when she snapped on his surname. Just the night before he had told her not to call him that. He turned his head slightly to fix her with an unfriendly glare.

"Be careful, Ari."

She met his glare evenly. "Or what? I'm fired? Big deal! With you keeping me in the dark all the time I don't even know what I'm suppose to do here anyway!"

A slight smile tugged at his lips but he veiled his amusement. She was angry, she was fearless, and she was determined. She was Ari Nieche. Had he the time he would love to continue this argument with her, pushing her to the very limits of her obstinate rage. But he had a meeting with Corrin Abachi and by no means could he let her be there. There was no telling how she would react when she saw the reality of her invention. He had come too far to dare risk endangering her progress now with the unpredictable memories trapped in her mind.

"That never stopped you before," he said as the elevator doors opened and he stepped out. When Ari didn't follow, he turned to look at her, his gaze far from pleasant. "Come, Ari."

She set her jaw and raised her chin defiantly. "I want to be there," she stated firmly.

Kaiba took two steps towards her and her brave heart wavered hesitantly when he towered above her. Without a word, he grasped her arm and firmly dragged her out of the elevator.

"Hey," she managed to gasp as she stumbled to keep her feet. His pace never hesitated and she had no choice but to hurry her steps to match his. "Let me go," she demanded as she tried to pry his fingers from her arm, but his grip was unbreakable. It was a short walk and he didn't let go until they stepped into his office. If Sojo was surprised to see Ari dragged in so unceremoniously, he hid it well.

"Take her home," Kaiba ordered flatly and turned to leave.

"What?" she asked, her eyes widening. "You can't—"

"Can't what?" he asked as he turned an icy glare upon her. Ari took an unconscious step back as she felt his stare sear through her and kept her silence.

He held her gaze one moment longer before striding through the door, leaving her both angry and shaken.

* * *

-Just a note about Ari sitting on her bed after her date in thought. In case you guys didn't catch the drift of her thoughts…when she said "And there you have it" she meant that she had arrived upon her decision of action. She had decided that every taboo subject that Kaiba avoided was one she would explore. She believes the answers she wants are hidden in the secrets he keeps and she had just then realized that this is where she needed to be looking. "And there you have it."

I would like to thank all of my chibi shy shadow readers who have been following this story. I hear you guys rustling around in the bushes out there, so I just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about you. Just, try to avoid the poison ivy patch, okay?


	19. His Possession

Disclaimer: Not mine, YGO that is.

His Possession

Chapter 19

Sojo hazard a glance at the seething woman beside him. There was something heartwarming about her anger and frustration. It had been missing for so long and the absence of docility yielded her confidence. But he kept his thoughts to himself and turned his gaze back to the road.

"Sojo," she said suddenly and he almost started from the unexpected break in silence.

"Yes, Ms Ari?"

"Take me to my apartment."

"Mr. Kaiba told me to—"

"I know what he told you, Sojo."

"Ms Ari—"

"I just need to pick up something, Sojo," she said softly.

He glanced at her staring out the window and sighed. "All right, Ms Ari." He took the next turn and was soon braking in front of her apartment complex.

"I'll only be a second, Sojo," she said as she unbuckled her belt. "You can just wait here." Before he could reply she was out of the car and jogging up the steps.

"Well, I can see the door from here in any case," he murmured as he watched her. She paused to unlock the door and disappeared inside, leaving the door slightly open for his benefit no doubt.

He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited, frowning with each passing minute. After five minutes, he pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. It wasn't that he didn't believe her, he just got really nervous about her these days, ever since that so called reporter accosted her on the veranda.

"Ms Ari," he called as he pushed open her front door and stepped into the foyer. The answering silence was unnerving and he reached inside his jacket to touch the grip of his 9mm to reassure himself.

"Ms Ari," he called again as he glanced into the empty living room and then the kitchen. Still there was no answer and he quickened his steps down the hall to the bedroom. He was in full blown panic when he saw this room too was empty. His eyes alighted on the open window and he frowned deeply. No one leaves a window open in the dead of winter. The temperature of the room told him it hadn't been open long. With a scowl he noticed there were no signs of a struggle either.

Crossing the room, he glanced through the window at the easy access fire escape. "Oh, no," he breathed as he stepped back and reached inside his jacket for his cell phone. "Mr. Kaiba is going to kill me."

* * *

"I have thought of nothing else since we crossed paths yesterday," Corrin Abachi said as he stood beside Kaiba in the elevator.

"It is very rare that I permit anyone to view our technology while still in its preliminary stages," Kaiba replied as the doors opened and he stepped out. "But I am making an exception in your case."

"I understand completely," Abachi grinned.

A pertinent ring emitted from Kaiba's jacket and he reached inside for his cell. It was not a good time to be bothering him.

"Kaiba," he snapped. After barely a second, his face blanched completely white. Abachi frowned thoughtfully at the notorious CEO's sudden stricken expression.

"Say that again," Kaiba growled through clenched teeth. Swearing softly under his breath, he snapped the phone shut and turned away from Abachi back towards the elevator. "We are going to have to reschedule, Abachi."

"Something come up?"

Kaiba glanced over his shoulder, his sharp blue eyes alight with intense fire. "My secretary will make the arrangements."

It wasn't a pretty sight. People were practically leaping out of his way to avoid contact with the barely contained hurricane of rage that stalked down the halls of Kaiba Corp headquarters. Slamming the door on his office so hard his secretary nearly jumped out of her skin, Kaiba took a shaky breath to steady himself before securing his cell once again. The bodyguard answered on the first ring of course.

"Tell me how this happened," Kaiba snarled and he could have sworn he heard Sojo swallowed hard before he began his explanation of Ari's disappearance.

_She ran away? That little…_ Kaiba couldn't finish the thought because beneath his anger was a terrifying fear of what could happen to her out there alone.

"I'm sending every available man to assist you. No one eats or sleeps until she is found, and you can only guess what I will do to you if she isn't." With that he snapped his phone shut and glared at nothing in particular.

_Why would she do this?_ She must have been angrier than he thought over their little argument, but he never would have expected her to do something like this. Of course, as of lately her behavior had become far from predictable. It was different when she first came home from the hospital. She had been timid and shy, easily controlled and obedient. But lately she was becoming more determined, more defiant, more…like herself, except she didn't have her memories to assure her of what she should and should not do. In searching so fervently for the truth, would she fall prey to whatever had gripped her before the accident?

Ari had built a wall between them. He knew she felt guilty over Matzu Omaka's death. It had been self-defense without a doubt. Had she not defended herself not only would she be dead, but so would he. But a woman like Ari, so compassionate and kind was never meant to bear such a heavy burden. He allowed her to distance herself in hopes that she would find a way to accept the past, but after a month she had only become more detached. Always she had been his Ari, gentle, intelligent, and defiant when he pushed the right buttons, but her affections were turning colder every day. It was like she was slipping away right before his eyes.

But she didn't remember this. She didn't know that it was okay to love him. She didn't know beyond doubt that he would do anything for her. No matter how much she wanted to, and he knew she wanted to, she didn't trust him. There was a war going on inside her, he felt it every time he held her and kissed her. Something inside her remembered the love she was willing to kill for, but it wasn't enough. Ari had never been the kind of woman to trust a feeling.

Kaiba smirked slightly as he recalled how long it had taken her to admit that she loved him, only when he had cornered her and forced her to admit her feelings. Yes, remembering everything was vital to Ari. But he was afraid. He was afraid the truth would be more than she could bear, reliving that nightmare once again. He had already lost her too many times before. He couldn't bear to lose her again.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

"Cancel the rest of my appointments," he told his secretary. _I won't be able to get anything done until she is found._

* * *

"What did I do to deserve this?" Sojo sighed softly. Six hours after Ari's disappearance and there still was no sign of her anywhere in the city. Darkness had settled in and the search had become exceedingly difficult.

_Where could she have gone?_ Any number of things could have happened to her and for the sake of his sanity, he tried to avoid entertaining the worse case scenario. Seto Kaiba had many enemies and Ari's value to him was well known. _If anything has happened to her…_ Sojo clenched his fists in anger. _Ms Ari, I hope you're all right._

Glancing up into the rearview mirror, he saw Kaiba's limo pull up behind him_. Here we go,_ he thought grimly as he got out to meet his boss.

Kaiba's expression had fallen throughout the day. He had joined his men in the search, which hadn't surprised any of them. Sojo had been partially surprised he hadn't been fired right off the bat, but he supposed Kaiba was more interested in finding Ari first and every man was needed for the search.

"I'm afraid we still have no word, Mr. Kaiba," Sojo spoke when he stood before the cold eyed CEO.

"She would have taken shelter by now," Seto murmured as he shrugged off the chilling wind.

"If she had come back here, I would have seen her, sir."

Kaiba glanced up at the apartment building and frowned. Sojo had parked so that he had a clear view of the door. There were no windows on this side of the building. "Could she have gone in the back the way she left?" he asked.

"I closed the window, sir, and it can only be opened from the inside."

Kaiba nodded and started walking away. Sojo decided not to follow since Kaiba had not told him too. Ari's apartment was on the end of the building and he didn't have to walk far to view the length of the apartment, his eyes drawn to the dimly lit window on the far back. _Could it be…_

Sojo watched with interest as Kaiba suddenly made a beeline for the steps and strode up two at a time until he reached Ari's door. There was a slight pause as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the few keys that he carried. The main gate to the mansion, the headquarters, his personal lab, and of course Ari's apartment. When would he have ever needed to let himself in was beyond him, but it had pleased her so much to give him the key. There was so little she could give him beyond her love and her life and to see her smile as she did the day she gave it to him had warmed him more than a hot cup of coffee ever could.

The lock clicked and he stepped into the dark apartment. Light filtered down the hallway from the back bedroom and he strode slowly, silently down the hall. The bedroom door was wide open and he stopped in the doorway, emotion he had ceased to feel as the search had lengthened filtering into his eyes.

She didn't even look up. Sitting there on the floor leaning against her bed, an album spread out in her lap holding her attention. A box had been dragged out of her closet, one he vaguely remembered her mentioning before the accident, something about going through and organizing it. Photographs, old books and files, near as he could tell at first glance. After a moment, she closed the album in her lap and pushed herself to her feet, clutching the book to her chest. He didn't move when she came towards him, her eyes still downcast and hidden beneath a few strands of golden brown. He blocked the doorway and he wasn't going to move until she looked up at him.

They stood like that for several minutes, her head bowed before him and him waiting for some reason, some explanation to why she had put him through this pain, why she wouldn't meet his gaze now.

"Ari," he spoke finally.

She stiffened and then reached into the album and pulled out a long envelope. "I understand now," she said softly as she slapped the envelope against his chest and raised cold pale eyes to his face. "Sir."

Without effort, she brushed past him and he let her as he stared down at the familiar envelope in his hands. _Oh no._ He didn't have to open it to know what it was. With a weary sigh, he slipped it inside his jacket and turned the light off. This was going to take some major damage control.

Ari had already left the apartment and was standing beside Sojo, waiting like an obedient puppy for Kaiba to join her. Sojo. He would have to deal with him later. It had been a long day and he felt like he was ready to collapse, even if it was barely nine o'clock.

"Call the men in," Kaiba ordered when he reached them.

"Yes, sir."

Ari silently stepped away from them towards the limo as if she read Kaiba's mind. Shaking his head, Seto followed. He didn't know how he was going to deal with this now. So he said nothing and this seemed to sit well with her since she obviously had no desire to explain her actions.

She hugged her album protectively as she stared out the window, avoiding all eye contact, which suited him just fine. He didn't want to see that look again. Anger, hate, anything was preferable to the cold emptiness she had looked through him with. It was a look he had grown used to when she first started working at Kaiba Corp, when she signed away her life to him in contract. Her personal copy of that contract now burned into him from where it was tucked within his jacket.

_I'm never going to be able to explain my way out of this one._ He glanced sideways at Ari who remained intent on ignoring him_. What could she be thinking? Does she remember when she signed this contract, or is she only reacting to what she has found but doesn't remember? _Sighing softly, he closed his eyes and scolded himself for being so foolish as to not anticipate this.

"Please don't fire Sojo," her soft voice startled him. He hadn't expected her to speak at all. It took him a moment to register what she had said.

"I won't," he said finally. _No need to give her another reason to hate me_, he told himself to alleviate the self-accusation that he was going soft. Well, maybe he was a little soft where Ari was concerned. He couldn't quite explain what she did to him. Whenever she entered a room everything went still and he was oblivious to the entire world around him, seeing only that one woman, that one divine creature. Then his heart would start beating again and he felt stronger than he ever had before. She did that to him with her presence alone. No, she didn't make him soft. She made him feel invincible.

He glanced at her again. And scared. She made him feel very, very scared.

* * *

Ari stared blankly into the mirror as she brushed her hair out. The thought of running away had never occurred to her, not exactly. Where would she have gone? The answers she sought were right at her fingertips but hidden by the shadows of doubt and _that man_. Beyond all else, she wanted to know the one thing he was intent on keeping from her.

She felt bad about deceiving Sojo, but it had been necessary. She stayed hidden under the bed long after he left to be certain that he wouldn't come back. After that, she delved into the search of finding out who Ari Nieche had been in her own eyes, and she had found out more than she bargained for.

It all made sense now. She had the proof to verify the feeling she had suffered earlier that day when they argued. She belonged to Seto Kaiba. She was property, just like his deck of duel monster cards. He owned her and controlled her. Every thought her mind conjured would serve Kaiba Corp alone, for as long as she lived. What she didn't understand was how he ever got her to sign such a contract in the first place. It was like…it was like selling your soul to the devil. Only someone completely and utterly desperate would do something like that.

_Was I in trouble? Did I need money? Even if I did, how could I be so foolish as to give myself up so completely?_

Setting her brush down, she walked across the room to the album she had left on her bed. Flipping it open, she stared at the newspaper clipping of the man whose face seemed familiar but she could not place him in her memory.

Kaska Ashine, owner and CEO of Nihm Fiber-optics. She hadn't had the chance to read all of the articles in the album, just enough to know that Kaska Ashine had been a wealthy and shrewd businessman. There were other clippings, but she had lingered on this first one, the one that described Ashine as an innovator in fiber-optic science. Such a man as this would be responsible for, say, a fiber-optic cable of unmatched capabilities? So how did Kaiba get a hold of the fiber-optic cable and why did he say she was responsible for its existence? Why did she have clippings of Kaska Ashine? Did she work for him at one time?

With a weary sigh, Ari closed the book and moved it to the nightstand in between two large bouquets of jasmine. Her already unstable world had been turned upside down when she found the copy of the contract. She didn't know what to think anymore.

_I'll just sleep on it_, she decided as she crawled into bed, noting grimly that Kaiba had been certain to take excellent care of his little possession. Why all the pretence? Why all the talk about starting over, the promise of a future together, promises of the world on a silver platter? Was it all just a tactic of seduction?

_Does he hope that I will give myself to him willingly, having forgotten that I am nothing more than property?_ Seto Kaiba was a powerful man, a possessive man and whatever he desired became his eventually. But even when the opportunity presented itself, he never tried to take her. Was there more that she wasn't seeing? Was this one piece of paper blinding her to a greater truth? After all, she still remembered nothing.

Ari rolled on her side and stared off through the glass doors leading onto her balcony, taking a deep breath of the honey sweet fragrance filtering through her room_. He has cared for me and protected me, and when he kisses me I feel complete. When I defy him, his eyes ice over but when my fears are too great for me he is gentle and kind. _

_Are you certain he is the one you should trust?_

Ari's eyes widened at the unexpected voice ringing out inside her mind. Corrin Abachi had not been the first to call into question Kaiba's honor. There had been also the reporter, Ito Nozaki who while proven less than trustworthy himself, still raised doubts within her mind. How much did she know about Seto Kaiba really?

_I know I love him_, she sighed as a wayward tear slipped down her cheek. Touching the cool gemstone around her throat, finally she understood the emotions locked within the stone. The Ari of before had suffered greatly for the love she bore for this man, for it is a lonely desperation for a slave to fall in love with her master.

* * *

**Josephine Jekyl-** Abachi is an overseas distributor and Kaiba has an awesome product (Ari's holographic program) that will need to be distributed worldwide. He was intending on letting Abachi see a demonstration and then bargain a very lucrative deal (for Kaiba of course).


	20. Jasmine Bouquet

Disclaimer: I fear I would not be able to properly handle the responsibility of owning YuGiOh if it were mine anyway, so be glad that it isn't.

Jasmine Bouquet

Chapter 20

"Ari is showing classic signs of information overload," Dr. Kim Saruka explained to the rather weary looking Seto Kaiba. "I was afraid this would happen."

"You mean she has learned too much?"

"In a way. This is why I discourage telling an amnesiac who they are. They are given so much information that they become uncertain as to what is real and what is not. They don't know who they can trust and in some cases suffer severe mental repercussions from the confusion."

"What do you suggest then, Doctor," Kaiba asked.

Kim frowned thoughtfully as she flipped through her notes. "The last time I gave you a suggestion it was thrown back in my face, Mr. Kaiba," she replied.

Kaiba's expression remained cold and without emotion. "Will you permit a minor obstacle to prevent you from accomplishing your work?"

She blinked at him for a moment and her lips quirked slightly. "You will not be a fan of this treatment, Mr. Kaiba. However, I believe considering the circumstances Ari has fallen into it would be for the best."

"This treatment being?"

"I am working with a local institution right here in Domino City. I would like Ari to spend a few days with me there."

Kaiba frowned deeply. "You want me to institutionalize her?"

"There is too much stimulus here. Ari needs to be somewhere that has no place in her memories and will not cause any emotional triggers."

Kaiba stared at her silently for a moment. There was logic within Dr. Saruka's suggestion that he simply had to agree with, but to let Ari go… he might have to. She did not trust him any more and if she ran away once, she would do it again. He could not take that risk again.

"I will give your suggestion serious thought, Dr. Saruka," he said finally, "and inform you of my decision within twenty-four hours."

Kim nodded acceptance as she stood from her chair. "While you consider, Mr. Kaiba, please keep in mind that Ari's state of mind is very fragile right now. Do not allow your personal feelings to affect your decision."

Seto scowled at his desk long after she had gone. He hated it when other people were right. His personal feelings were at the heart of this mess. Never should he have permitted her to test the hardware in the first place. But he had given in to her large beseeching eyes and now…and now…

Everything he that had done for her sake, to protect her from painful memories he was certain she was not ready to confront, seemed to have the completely opposite effect. Could it be he had been wrong from the very start? Ari would never be his again.

Clenching his fists in frustration, he stood up abruptly from his desk and glowered heatedly at the door. Too many times he had failed her. _Not again. Never again._

* * *

Ari looked up from her perch on the window seat when she heard a soft knock on the door. A person could count on one hand the number of people who would come seeking her, and most of them she did not want to see. After a moment, the handle turned and the door cracked open, a pair of wary blue-violet eyes peeking through.

When she said nothing, Mokuba ventured to push the door open a little wider. "Hi," he said warily.

"Hi," she returned.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," she agreed as she closed the book in her lap.

A hesitant smile spread across his face as he stepped in, leaving the door ajar as he crossed the room towards her. "I heard what happened. You really had everyone worried, Ari."

"I didn't mean to make everyone worry," she said softly.

Mokuba climbed up onto the seat beside her. "What's that?" he asked when he saw the book she held.

"An album I found in my apartment yesterday."

"Can I see?" he asked eagerly.

_What could it hurt?_ "Sure," she decided and tilted the book towards him. He let the cover fall back on its binding and stared at the newspaper clipping on the first page.

"Oh," he said softly and then reached to turn the page. "Have you read any of these articles yet?"

"Just a few." Ari stared at him thoughtfully as he turned the pages. "Do you know anything about this, Mokuba?"

He tensed slightly and then his shoulders slackened. "Yeah, but I think Seto should explain it to you, not me."

Ari snorted softly and pushed herself off the seat. "I'm sick of this," she snapped. "I'm sick of everyone telling me to 'ask Seto' and when I do he clams up tighter than a dead man." She folded her arms across her chest, fixing the boy with a frustrated glare. "Your brother doesn't want me to remember my past."

"That's not true," Mokuba leaped to his feet, his eyes flashing with passion someone his age shouldn't possess. "Seto is only trying to protect you from the past."

"I've heard that before too, Mokuba," she returned, her voice raising slightly. "I've heard plenty of stories but that is all they are, stories!"

"He loves you!" Mokuba shouted, his small hands fisting at his side.

Ari's pale eyes widened at the words spoken so forcefully out loud for the first time. Sinking to the ground, she wiped at the wet blurring in her eyes. "I don't know what to believe anymore," she whispered softly.

Mokuba wrapped his arms around her shoulders and leaned his head against her back. "It's okay, Ari. It's going to be okay, I promise. You're not going through this alone."

Ari clutched his arm wrapped around her and tilted her head back against his. Mokuba was right. She wasn't the only one in pain. No matter what other people told her and no matter what happened from that moment on, she knew Seto Kaiba suffered too. There was so much longing, so much loss hidden in the icy eyes of the CEO, a man too strong to break before the eyes of others. But he had let her see it, the tears in his heart and the shattering he suffered every time he looked at her and stood beside her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and Mokuba hugged her tighter.

"There's nothing to be sorry about, Ari," he told her, ever forgiving. "Your memory is going to come back sooner than you think. Isn't that right, Seto?"

Ari stiffened beneath Mokuba's hold. _I didn't hear him come in_.

"Yes, Mokuba," came the even reply.

Ari quickly dried her eyes as Mokuba pulled away from her.

"See!" he smiled down at her. "Seto believes it too."

_No he doesn't_, she thought silently.

"Mokuba, I need to talk to Ari alone," Seto spoke and Mokuba nodded.

"Sure, Seto. I'll see you later, Ari," he patted her on the shoulder and then scurried out of the room.

"What do you want," Ari asked as she pushed herself up and walked back to the window seat to reclaim her album.

"Dr. Saruka is worried about you," he spoke as he watched her. She did not turn to look at him. "She wants me to send you to an institution."

Ari turned suddenly, her eyes wide with fear and shock. "You're going to commit me?"

"I didn't say that," he told her firmly.

"Then, what **are** you saying?"

"Dr. Saruka believes there is too much stimulus here, too much information that you are unable to process."

"I'm not a computer," she spoke darkly.

"And that's the problem," he said. "I'm running out of ideas, Ari. I don't know what to do anymore and Dr. Saruka is an expert in her field."

"I don't trust her," Ari said.

"You don't trust anyone, Ari," he snapped and then caught himself, taking a deep calming breath. "If there is another way, I would not hesitate to try it. But Ari," he took an urgent step forward and she would have stepped back had she the room. "You have to understand that there are many dark things in your past, painful memories that I do not think you are ready to know. I only wanted to protect you but in doing that I seem to have only made things worse."

"I don't care," she spoke softly but firmly. "I just want to know the truth."

His cerulean eyes narrowed slightly. "Telling you the truth is the opposite of what Dr. Saruka has recommended, but," he held up his hand when she opened her mouth to protest, "but I know you better than anyone. I want your word that you will not run from me again."

"You want me to trust you," she murmured.

"Yes."

She stared at him warily for a moment. "Prove it," she said finally as she held up her open album. "Tell me who this man is."

Seto looked at the newspaper clipping. "Get your coat. I'll show you."

* * *

_I don't know about this. How will I know that what he tells me is the truth? He could make up any number of stories to satisfy my questions. _Ari glanced sideways at Kaiba, confused by this change in him. The day before he had been stern and demanding, an earthquake could not have shaken him. She suspected he had even been amused by her gumption. Now the wall was up again, that icy wall that protected and prevented him from feeling. It meant something substantial was about to happen. It meant he was going to tell her the truth.

Her gaze fell to the bouquet on the seat between them. She never saw him collect the jasmine from her room and didn't dare ask what they were for when she finally noticed them. _How did I ever end up with the world's most complicated man?_

The limo slowed to a stop and Kaiba picked up the bouquet as he reached for the door.

_Please tell me it's going to get less confusing now_, she prayed as she climbed out the door he held open for her.

It was snowing again, softly but steadily. It softened the appearance of the graveyard before her eyes. "Why are we here?" she asked hesitantly.

"You're going to want these," he said quietly as he handed her the bouquet of jasmine. Ari stared warily at the honey-sweet flowers in her hands.

"Come," he said.

The sound of their footsteps crunching on the snow was all that broke the silence of the massive cemetery. Taking a deep breath of the chilly air, Seto sighed softly. So it had come to this. He only hoped that she was strong enough, that her heart was strong enough.

Ari hesitated when he stopped. Finally she stepped up beside him and stared down at the two sculpted stones. _This is what he brought me to see…_

Kaska Ashine. Elizabeth Ashine. They were…they were… Ari sunk to her knees in the snow. _But, my name is Ari Nieche._

"When your mother died, you were sent to live with your father," Seto spoke above her, his voice as soft as the gently falling flakes. "To protect your identity, he legally changed your name to your mother's maiden name, Nieche."

Ari hesitantly touched the cold hard stone. "These are my parents."

"Yes."

Her eyes fell to the dates engraved and she frowned. "Kaska died almost two years ago."

"Yes."

"He owned Nihm Fiber-optics. What happened to the company after he died?"

"He left it to you including the fiber-optic prototype that you two created together," Seto explained.

"So how did I end up at Kaiba Corp?"

Kaiba took a deep breath. "Nihm went bankrupt under your control. You were sabotaged," he said quickly when her shoulders slumped. No need for her to be thinking she was a failure to add to everything else. "You were marked and no one in Domino would hire you."

Ari let her hand fall away from the unforgiving stone. "Does anything in my life remain?"

A strong hand settled on her shoulder and squeezed gently. Without thinking, Ari covered the hand with her own, accepting the comfort offered.

"How did she die?" she asked.

"Car accident. He died from—"

"Cancer," she said suddenly.

Seto glanced down at her surprised. "Yes. You remember?"

"It seems right," she murmured.

They remained there in sullen, uncertain silence_. Is she living this for the first time or is the pain familiar, having been felt before_, Seto wondered.

"You must trust me, Ari," he said softly. "So that I can trust you."

"And you will tell me everything?"

"Everything."

Ari opened her hands to stare down at the scars crisscrossing her palms. Suddenly Kaiba dropped to his knees beside her, his hands clasping over hers.

"But not that," he spoke quickly, "not yet."

Ari looked up into his wide beseeching eyes, startled by the intensity of his plea.

"This is one of the dark things you speak of," she whispered.

"I will protect you in my own way, Ari," he told her sincerely. "But you must let me. You must trust me."

Her pale eyes fell to his hands clasping hers in warmth and strength. "I do not know of trust but as you say, I will do."

Seto softly kissed her temple. "That is enough."

Ari closed her eyes at the feathery touch of his lips, knowing that trust must come if she was to hold her promise. For her past may be buried forever before her, but the man beside her promised a future, and not one in solitude. A future with him and Mokuba.

"Just tell me one thing more," she said quietly.

Seto released her hands. "Yes?"

Ari leaned forward and arranged the jasmine bouquet in the snow between her parent's stones. "Are any of my memories good ones?"

When he did not answer right away, she felt her heart sink. "It's all right," she assured him. "I still want them back, all of them."

"I used to be able to give you everything and you never asked for anything. Now you ask for what I cannot give," Seto sighed as he pushed himself up out of the snow. "You are the most mystifying woman I have ever known. Come. You are shivering from the cold."

"I do not feel it," she murmured but she accepted the hand he offered her. Whatever the others might say, there was one truth she did not need memories to assure her of. Seto Kaiba would always protect her. Whether it be out of love or matter of possession, the motive did not matter at that moment. Ari just knew that she was safe with him and he would give her the answers she longed for. But would they be answers she could trust?

She stared at the firm set of his broad shoulders as she followed him through the field of stone. _What am I so afraid of?_


	21. The Face in the Darkness

Disclaimer: Of course YuGiOh is not my creation.

The Face in the Darkness

Chapter 21

**"NO!" **

She screamed into darkness and was heard only by white petals. Ari jolted up gasping for breath, clutching her hands over her frantically beating heart. So real, so intense, so vivid.

Throwing the covers aside, she leaped out of bed and stumbled to the desk in the corner. Her fumbling fingers flicked on the lamp before flipping through the drawers for the tablet she knew was there. Her pulse never stopped racing as she scratched the image into the paper with pencil, her hand flying in panicked frenzy.

Only when she finished did her gasping breaths calm, but her hands and body still shook. Was this another manifestation of her memories, or a haunting dream meant only to confuse her? _I must know._

It was just after three in the morning, but Ari did not feel the silence of the mansion as she left her room and padded quickly down the hall. It had been many nights since she had ventured here, but she must know and only one had the power to dispel the fear that clung to her and made her heart pound as though death stood outside her window.

"Seto, wake up," she whispered frantically, not knowing exactly why she whispered when she was trying to wake the man in the first place.

"Ari?" he murmured sleepily and suddenly he was wide awake when he realized she was not part of a dream.

She turned the lamp on and he blinked against the harsh light. "I didn't mean to wake you," she said.

"Obviously you did," he said wryly as he pulled himself up. "What's wrong?"

"Why does something have to be wrong?" she asked evasively.

Seto stared at her perched beside him on the edge of the bed and tried hard not to laugh. Ari was never very good at lying. "It's three in the morning, Ari. Did you have another nightmare?"

Ari glanced down at the paper crumpled in her hands. After a moment of indecision she flattened the paper out and held it up for him to see. "Do you know this man?"

It was not a face he desired to ever see again. "Where did you get this," he demanded as he took the sketch from her.

"I drew it, just now. Who is he?"

"Did you dream about him?"

"Yes. Tell me, please," she pleaded with wide eyes.

_I must tell her eventually._ "His name is Matzu Omaka."

"Matzu Omaka," she echoed as she took the page back from him and stared at the image. The name meant nothing to her, but the face…

"What did you see, Ari?" Seto asked softly.

"Do you remember the dragon and the snake."

_That dream again?_ "Yes," he said warily.

"I dream it almost every night," she murmured, "always the same. This time the snake had a face…his."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. _Her dream, it must be her mind trying to make sense of broken memories. The symbolism uncannily resembles the reality._

"It was just a dream, Ari," he said.

"It couldn't save me this time," she spoke as if she never heard him.

"What couldn't save you?"

"The dragon," she whispered as tears slipped from her eyes onto the paper she held, her hands trembling with vivid recollection. The snake had taken everything from her, everything that she loved and the dragon that was suppose to protect her and sometimes would hurt her, could not save her.

The sketch was pulled from her hands and she glanced up at him in surprise as he set the paper on the nightstand. The light flickered off and Ari blinked several times in the darkness. Before her eyes could fully adjust, Kaiba's arm swept around her waist and she was pulled over his body, landing softly in the blankets beside him. Recovering from shock, she struggled to get up but his hold tightened firmly.

When she ceased her struggle, his arm pulled away from her and before she could even think of moving he dragged a blanket over her, his arm once again slipping around her waist to hold her securely against his warmth.

"He can't hurt you anymore, Ari," Seto whispered in her ear, his breath brushing across her skin. "Now go to sleep."

Ari found herself relaxing against him, the steady rise and fall of his chest against her back easing her tension. The power was his to break the fears into dust, to slaughter the demons hovering in the shadows of her dreams. It was an illogical strength. Why him? Why did no one else possess this power, not even the boy sharing the same blood?

"Why do I feel safe with you," she murmured.

"Because you are," he answered and Ari smiled into the darkness. _Ah yes, that was why._

"Seto," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"It's not true."

Seto frowned deeply. "What isn't?"

Ari was silent for a moment, sleep tugging at her senses. "That I would rather remember Mokuba," her murmuring began to fade, "than you."

* * *

The warmth of the morning sun pulled her from her pleasant dream and she was reluctant to let it go. Never had she seen Seto smile so sweetly, laugh so freely. It wasn't complicated, just a regular evening spent playing a simple game of chess. Even her and Mokuba's combined skill had not been enough to defeat the indomitable Seto Kaiba. Only when she opened her eyes to the new day did she realize it had not been a dream at all but a memory.

Seto had taken her to a cozy little café after visiting the cemetery the day before. There he had begun telling her the story of her life, the story of Ari before. That's what it was to her, a story about a woman she shared a face with. There was much he had left out, she was certain, but he had given her plenty to think about.

They had not started on good terms in the least. His emotions were held completely in check behind that familiar wall of ice as he openly admitted how he had forced her into signing the all encompassing contract, the one she found in her scrapbook album. Her stomach clenched as he recounted her desperate physical state followed all too quickly by her desperate act to escape him, which led to her hospitalization for self-starvation. In yet another attempt to escape his domination, she had begun selling out behind his back.

She must have really hated him to want to betray him like that. If she could face that woman now, she would have slapped her. Guilt was not an emotion she had expected to herald the return of her memories but it had worked.

In the few hours until morning, her dreams had been thick with scattered memories. Still she did not remember everything, like the secret behind the scars crisscrossing the palms of her hands, but she remembered enough to know that Seto Kaiba had never lied to her. The jewel around her throat was tangible proof of a memory she had remembered all on her own.

Stirring slightly, she became aware of a weight draped over her. Glancing down, she saw his arm had never moved from its place around her waist. At first intending to untangle herself from his grasp, she laid her hand over his but instead wove her fingers through his own and pulled his arm snuggly around her. Yes, she felt very safe with him, the man she loved, despite what she did not know. She longed for more memories of him but was satisfied with what she had reclaimed.

There were still many puzzles like who Matzu Omaka was, the face of the snake in her dreams. And if the snake had born a face, would the dragon do so too? And why did the dragon who seemed to protect her try to hurt her as well? Or was it all just a random dream…that she happened to dream every night?

"Are you awake?" She felt the deep rumbling against her back before the words became audible.

"Yes," she murmured, still studying his fingers tangled with hers.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked.

"Yes."

There was something in her voice, a faint note of amusement that woke him completely. Pushing himself up on his elbow, he stared down at her still turned away from him, but the hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"Ari?"

She rolled onto her back and stared up at him innocently. "Yes?"

He freed his hand from hers and brushed silky soft strands of gold away from her face. "You're happy," he stated with slight amazement.

A shy smile broke through her reserve. "Yes," she said softly.

Seto smirked mischievously. "If that is the only answer you have for me today, perhaps I should ask a different question."

That look in his deep blue eyes should have frightened her, but she couldn't be afraid knowing what she knew now, knowing the secrets her dreams no longer kept from her. Tentatively she reached up and gently touched his face, her slender fingers lingering on his cheek. His eyes softened severely at her touch and Ari knew she would never need to hear the words from him as long as he gazed at her like that.

"You are an arrogant man," she said. _And I love you for it and despite it._

A perfect brow arched at her statement. "Because I always get what I want or because I know I always get what I want?"

"Ah, but you haven't have you," her pale eyes brightened with challenge. "At least, not yet."

"I've learned to be patient," he maintained his smirk, amused that she dared to play with him for a change.

"Not your strongest virtue, I believe."

"Perhaps not," he admitted, "but you are worth it. Worth the battle, worth the wait," he secured her hand and softly kissed her scarred palm. "Worth the pain."

Her fingers curled over the kiss, startled by the implication of his words. "Tell me," she whispered.

"Not today," he shook his head.

"You promised you would tell me everything," her eyes darkened in accusation.

"And you promised to do as I say."

Her answering silence was enough of a confirmation that she understood. The scars were an off-limits topic and she must wait for him to broach the subject first.

"Fine," she said finally. "What are your orders for today, master?"

Kaiba winced at the inflection she put into the word. Oh yes, that was his miffed out Ari for sure.

"You are going to spend the day with Mokuba, as far from Kaiba Corp business dealings as you can get."

"If you're worried about me finding out—." The soft pressure of his fingers on her lips stopped her short. If that had not worked, the warning shadow creeping into his eyes would have.

"We've been over this before, Ari. I will protect you in my own way and you must trust me." He stared her down for a moment and when certain the point had been made, he pulled his hand away. But before she could launch her protest, she was silenced once more with a kiss that unerringly scattered her senses so completely she forgot why she was arguing with this man in the first place. After all, he only sought her safety_…and maybe a little side bonus for a job well done,_ she thought as she felt his hand slip beneath her and pull her against him.

_Not good. This…is…not…_ She was losing herself too quickly and reality, sensibility, screamed that this was a place she could not go, not yet. Not when there was still—

A face flashed before her mind's eye, one that should never have been able to break through when Seto controlled her senses so effectively.

He felt the change long before she began to push him away and he instantly broke the kiss to study her expression intensely for a hint to her sudden revolt, for that had been exactly what he felt. Pure and absolute revulsion, and fear.

To his complete confusion and utter surprise she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his night shirt. After the second shudder he realized she was crying and his arms instantly went around her, pulling her up into his embrace.

"Ari—"

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "It's not—it's not you."

Seto's eyes darkened in fury as he held her. "Matzu," he growled.

Ari stilled suddenly when he spoke the name. Pulling back slightly, she gazed up at Kaiba, noting the firm set of his jaw and the flamed-licked expression in his eyes. This Matzu, the man in her dreams and the face she sketched onto paper, was he the reason behind all of the nameless fears?

"Why do you hate him so much," Ari dared to ask between sniffles.

His arms tightened around her until she feared he might crack a rib. "He tried to take you from me." Blue fire snapped and crackled with the vehemence in his voice and Ari laid her head against his chest. _So the fear is real. What manner of person would dare take anything from Seto Kaiba? A snake. The snake is Matzu Omaka. That means the dragon must be Seto…but this time he could not protect me. _She shivered.

"He's dead," Seto said suddenly and she glanced up to meet his gaze. The fire had quelled some.

"Dead?" she echoed.

"He can't hurt you anymore," Seto smiled slightly, for her benefit but it did not completely reach his eyes. There was something more he was not telling her. Ari forced herself to return the smile, hoping hers was more successful than his and it seemed to have the desired effect when he dropped a tender kiss on her forehead and released her.

Ari blinked in surprise and watched him stride across the room to disappear into his walk-in closet. It was a new day, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, a perfect day.

Ari slid out of the bed and steadied herself against the nightstand, her hand brushing against stiff paper. Glancing down, her eyes fell upon what had brought her into Seto Kaiba's arms the night before in the first place.

_If he is dead, then why am I still afraid? Why do I feel like he is still trying to hurt me, still trying to take away all that I love? If he is dead, then why does peace still escape me?_

Kaiba faintly heard a door open and close and smirked with the thought that Ari probably wanted to get back to her room before anyone realized where she had spent the night. She was such a simple girl and rumors against her reputation would only give her one more thing to worry over. The woman was a growing addiction. Just having her presence in the same room as he slept eased his nerves far more than any drug ever could. But to hold her softness in his arms, to breath her scent all through the night and to wake with her still there, still with him…

Yes, this accursed patience was paying off. It had been an unconscious response for her at first, how she would react to his kisses, his attention, but not so anymore. Her memories were returning more swiftly and regardless of the sketchy proof within her own mind as to whether she could trust him or not, he was certain she still loved him. Ari was afraid of losing him and that was all the proof he needed.

She rose to challenge, much to his delight and frustration. Honestly you would think she would have learned by now what not to take a stand on…but then she wouldn't be his Ari.

Pulling a black trenchcoat off a hangar, he slung it over his arm and strode back into his room to confirm that Ari had indeed left. His sharp eyes drifted around the room for anything he might have forgotten, and settled on the nightstand. The sketch of Matzu Omaka was gone.

There was no way around it. He knew the moment he had been avoiding was looming ever closer. Either tell Ari what had happened, what she had done and let her pretend it was done by some other woman in some other existence…or wait for her to remember the worst moment of her life and to crumble beneath the weight of her guilt once again. It nearly destroyed her the first time, a second remembrance could only be worse. Even before the accident, Ari had been struggling to come to terms with the death of Matzu Omaka by her own hand. It was what drove them apart and now that he was just beginning to reach her heart again, that single memory could nullify everything.

_If that man were still alive today I would kill him myself!_

* * *

"So what do you want to do today, Ari?" Mokuba asked as he watched her tie her shoelaces with unusual care.

"I would like to go out, if that is all right, Moki," she said without raising her gaze. She could not betray her intentions to anyone because they would only try to stop her.

"Where to? I promised Seto I would keep you away from work, so if that's what you're thinking…"

Ari smiled up at him. "I was thinking of going to the library."

"The library? I could get you any book you want at—"

"I wanted to do some research," she interrupted. _Not a lie._

"On what?"

"Quantum mechanics. I have this theory I want to explore…" _One lie and a half truth. I can live with that._

"Okay," he grinned. "If that's what you want. I'll go get Sojo and Washiro."

She watched him prance off and smiled sadly to herself. She didn't like deceiving Mokuba but if she was going to find out what she needed to know, then it was a necessary evil.

Slipping her coat on, she stepped out into the cold March morning and glanced around. It was unusually silent and Ari comforted herself with the fact that she actually had the confidence to stand out there all alone. But by the time Mokuba returned accompanied by his bodyguard Washiro, the unease of the morning had resettled itself on her shoulders.

Ari could think clearly now, much more clearly than she had been able to think for months. Much of her memory was still fragmented, but being half of a person was better than being a blank slate, especially when she knew her heart was not betraying her after all. But she could not permit herself to love Seto as freely as he desired. Unfinished business hovered on the fringes of her existence and she would never be a whole person again until it was settled.

Matzu Omaka. That name was the answer to everything. Now if she only knew the question.

"Ari?"

"Hmm?" she murmured absently as she stared out the window.

"Are you okay? You seem kind of preoccupied," Mokuba said.

Ari smiled down at him as she ruffled his crazy hair. "You worry too much. I'm just pondering my theory is all."

Reassured, he sat back in the seat and chattered aimlessly for the rest of the ride. Domino City Public Library was a massive two-story building. After being certain that Mokuba found something to keep himself occupied, Ari sought out the Librarian, all the while aware of Sojo's distant shadow.

"How can I help you?" the prune-faced woman asked when Ari caught her attention.

"I was wondering if I could look through your newspaper films."

"Is there a particular day or year that you are looking for?"

Ari frowned thoughtfully. _From what Seto told me, we've only known each other for not quite a year yet and he said Matzu tried to take me away from him so if he is dead now…_ "It would be this past year. Before—," w_hen did my accident occur? November 22._ "Before November twenty-second and after June first."

"Okay, follow me."

A few minutes later, Ari found herself scrolling through Domino's most popular newspaper on the film machine. Later she would pat herself on the back for starting in November and moving back because it was in early October where she found the article. An obituary wasn't necessary because it was front page news.

_Matzu Omaka plunges to his death from the twenty-third floor of Omaka Enterprises. Bystanders witness two others present at the time of his fall later to be identified as CEO of Kaiba Corp Seto Kaiba, and Kaiba Corp employee Ari Nieche. Police refuse to give a statement regarding foul play. _

Her eyes widened as she realized the implications. She was there. She was there when that man fell to his death. Why was she there? Sitting back, Ari's gaze fell to her hands and she opened her palms to stare at the scars.

_This one…_she traced her finger along the deep red scar through the middle of her right palm. Above it across her fingers of the same hand was another scar equal in length and color. _No! Oh God, it can't be! I—._ She trembled uncontrollably as she heard the screams, felt the fire slice through her flesh. _Murderer!_

A hand settled on her shoulder and she jumped with a startled cry.

"Ms Ari," a familiar voice spoke in surprise and she raised her panicked stare to meet the concerned green eyes she knew so well.

"You scared me," she breathed as she wiped a hand across her face.

"I'm sorry," Sojo said as he studied her intently. It had been some time since she had exhibited such signs of extreme stress. "You don't look well, Ms Ari," he said softly. "Maybe we should return to the mansion."

Ari nodded absently but did not move, slipping into a daze between reality and memory. The screams…the terror…

Sojo gently grasped her arm and was relieved when she allowed him to lead her away. Her pale eyes were unfocused as if she were sleep walking and she offered no protest as he took charge of her. Washiro and Mokuba were easy to find and Sojo didn't allow himself to breath again until he had Ari safely secured in the car and on the way back to the mansion. This was no time for a relapse. She had been doing so well, becoming lively and happy once again and now…what went wrong?

Sojo glanced up in the rearview mirror at Mokuba trying to break through Ari's stupor.

"What happened?" Washiro asked softly beside him.

"Don't know," Sojo replied as he returned his eyes to the road. "She was just sitting there and when I touched her she nearly flipped out."

"You don't think someone got to her, do you?"

"No. I was with her the whole time. She was just reading…" Sojo frowned. _That was it. Something she read must have triggered some kind of a memory. I should have looked at what she was reading, dammit!_

"The boss isn't going to like this," Washiro murmured as he glanced over his shoulder at Ari.

"Nope." Sojo's gaze flickered across the mirror again and he felt somewhat relieved to see Ari finally turn her attention to Mokuba. _Good. Looks like she's coming out of it. Now, what am I going to tell Mr. Kaiba?_


	22. Breathless

Disclaimer: If only.

Breathless

Chapter 22

_She looks…okay._ Seto quietly set his briefcase down outside the archway of the living room. Sojo had called him at work to forewarn him about what had occurred and no doubt what could be expected when he came home. But at the moment, Ari seemed rather peaceful. Of course he could not see her face, but she didn't seem tense.

Walking softly so as not to disturb her, he entered the dimly lit room and discovered as he neared the couch she occupied that she was not alone. Ari was curled into a corner of the couch with Mokuba asleep, his head pillowed on her lap. Her arm was draped over the boy's stomach, his fingers tangled in hers. Her other hand was occupied with a book and it seemed to have her full attention until she suddenly turned and looked up at him standing there above her.

He expected her to jump, but she merely smiled and for a moment Kaiba wondered if Sojo had imagined the events of the afternoon. Ari hardly looked like a woman on the verge of panic.

"I know it's past his bedtime," she said apologetically.

"It's all right," Seto said as he sat on the coffee table and smiled softly at his brother's peaceful face.

"Am I permitted to inquire about work?" she asked softly and he glanced up. It was only when he looked directly at her did he see what she was hiding. He had seen that look in her eyes before and knew it too well.

"Later," he said as he kneeled and carefully gathered Mokuba into his arms. The boy murmured something but remained asleep. "Stay here," Seto told her as he carried his brother away. Ari watched him for a moment and then let her gaze fall back to the book in her hand. The words blurred before her eyes and she closed it. She hadn't really been reading for the last two hours anyway, just absently turning pages as her mind played, rewound, and replayed the fuzzy images in her mind. She couldn't see the memory clearly yet, but she knew what it was and what it would tell her. Matzu Omaka was dead…and she killed him. Why?

Would his memory ever leave her? No. She was certain now. He was the wraith that lingered in the shadows of her dreams always haunting and hunting with the promise that one day he would seek her in revenge. Dead he was, but vengeance never died. It would find her somehow, someway.

Seto's soft steps broke her from her thoughts and she wiped any hint of a torn expression from her face. He sat beside her on the couch and when she turned towards him, her face was captured and her lips crushed in a passionate kiss. Everything inside her stilled and her fingers curled into his shirt, holding on while letting go.

"I love you," he breathed when their lips parted. Ari's eyes widened as she looked up at him, never having expected the words to ever be said.

Seto stroked her cheek tenderly as he stared down into her pale eyes. "No matter what," he said.

_No matter what._ Ari buried her face in his shirt and his arms pulled her securely into his embrace. Leaning his head against hers, Seto took a deep breath of her vanilla scent mingled with the lingering hint of jasmine. It was home to him, regardless of everything that tried to tear them apart.

"Tell me," she whispered softly after a few minutes had passed.

"It was self-defense, Ari," he murmured, his breath brushing loose strands of golden brown across her forehead. "If you had not done what you did, not only would you be dead…but so would I."

"I can still hear him scream," she whispered painfully and Seto hugged her tighter.

"I know," he kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I know."

"I can still feel him trying to hurt me."

"He can't hurt you anymore, Ari," Seto spoke firmly.

_I want to believe you but I can feel him all around me, in my dreams every night. He won't rest until I join his fate._ Ari shivered.

Feeling her tremble in his arms, Seto reached for the blanket draped over the back of the couch and wrapped it snuggly around her. With this added warmth, Ari curled into him even more, comforted by his solid strength.

"It was all about the holographic program, wasn't it," she spoke after a moment.

"Yes," he admitted. "And the fiber-optic cable."

"And the day of my accident?" she prompted.

She felt him tense against her and then relax with a resigned sigh. "We underestimated the rate of laser/energy transfer."

"Power surge. That's what Mr. Azuma told me."

"There was a little more to it than that," he said softly and Ari glanced up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You were dueling with low level monsters and everything was working exactly as you had planned, or at least we thought it was because we could not detect the miscalculation on low level attacks. They just weren't powerful enough to do any notable damage."

"I don't understand."

His eyes darkened slightly. "The attack that nearly killed you was by an eight star monster." He hesitated for a moment as he stared into her wide pale eyes. _Might as well go all the way._ "It was a Blue Eyes White Dragon."

_A Blue Eyes? There's only three left in the world and Seto has them all!_ She pushed away from him and fixed him with a wide-eyed stare.

"How did a Blue Eyes get into the holo-duel system?"

Cerulean eyes chilled. "You put it there yourself."

"What? I would never use something that powerful in a preliminary test!"

_I know…but the proof…_ "The security camera doesn't lie, Ari. It was your access code on the record, you on the camera, and you with the ability to access the card." _Not to mention that the camera footage was doctored to hide that it was you._

"No! I wouldn't have done that. I would remem—." She cut herself short and her eyes widened. _No, I wouldn't remember, would I._ She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before meeting those cold accusing eyes. "I didn't do it," she stated firmly.

Of course she wouldn't remember if she had done it and the woman he knew would never have put herself at such a risk. But it was her code, her face… Kaiba didn't know what to believe any more.

"You've had a long day," he said finally. "You should get some sleep."

Ari felt her eyes tear but obediently turned away, dropping her attention to folding the blanket neatly before draping it over the arm of the couch.

"Goodnight," she whispered as she stood and left him without looking back.

* * *

Ari mechanically brushed her long hair over her shoulder, staring blankly at the woman sitting across from her imitating her actions without deviation.

_It isn't possible. I would never have done anything so foolish. Does he…does he think I did it on purpose? Does he think I meant to try to kill myself because of guilt over Matzu's death?_ Ari wiped angrily at the tears that would not cease, dropping her brush to the floor.

"I wouldn't do that," she insisted and raised her eyes to her reflection. "I wouldn't!"

Hugging her knees to her chest, Ari glared at the floor trying to make sense of Seto's vague accusations. She couldn't explain the fact that she was seen on the security cameras accessing the system and she could have gotten the card easily from Seto…but she would never have done that!

Shaking her head in frustration, Ari looked up at her reflection again and realized that this woman was far different from the one she had been months before. Fire burned in her eyes and her heart. The fire had been ebbed by pain and remorse not yet accepted, but it still simmered. This was not a woman who was finished with life.

Pulling herself up off the floor, Ari tossed her brush onto her nightstand and climbed into her bed. She needed to sleep alone tonight. She needed answers and if they came in the shadows of her dreams, so be it. Clicking the light off, she sunk into the sheets and curled her hand over the diamond pendant she always wore.

_I am not going to be afraid anymore_.

* * *

_"I'll make you pay for what you did."_

Ari looked uneasily over her shoulder but saw nothing and no one behind her.

_"You know what I will enjoy the most?"_

Ari stiffened as she felt warm breath against her ear. "What?" she dared to ask, forgetting for a moment that this voice was different from the first.

Soft laughter beside her made her shiver. _"The knowledge," _the voice spoke_, "that I've taken Kaiba's precious possession beyond redemption."_

Pale blue eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed in anger. "You can't hurt me anymore," she snapped. "You're dead."

_"Am I?" _The voice laughed as it drifted away, repeating its question in chant._ "Am I?"_

Ari turned around and squinted to see the form lingering in the darkness. It was beyond massive and moved with a strange weaving grace coming ever closer and closer. She kept telling herself it wasn't real but the fear gathering within her, the helplessness to protect herself, was very real. She was able to save herself before, both herself and the man she loved with a mere shard of glass…

Feeling fire splice through her flesh, Ari glanced down, shocked to see blood dripping from her fingers. Opening her palm, she stared at the large piece of glass, her only weapon against the imminent danger. Clenching it more firmly, she raised her eyes with defiance and determination to shatter this nightmare once and for all.

But when her eyes rested on the enemy, she suddenly felt weak, powerless, and the glass slipped from her fingers, breaking to pieces at her feet. It wasn't enough. Useless, helpless…

_"I will make you pay for what you did."_

"Ari?"

Opening one sleepy eye, Ari stared up into Mokuba's concerned face and smiled. "What time is it?" she asked.

"It's almost noon. You haven't slept this late in a long time," he said.

"It was a difficult night," she smiled to reassure him as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Difficult was an understatement. She had awakened more than once, always from the same exact dream, the same voices, the same words, but she had been unable to finish it. So she kept making herself fall back asleep, to face the fear if only to gain one answer more, if only to finish the dream.

"Did you and Seto have a fight?" Mokuba asked with a slight scowl and Ari chuckled. Mokuba might be Seto's little brother but he would always be in her corner.

"No, not really, Moki. I just had a lot on my mind. What's on the schedule for today?"

"Well, if you're not feeling well, you should stay here and rest. I was going to go see a friend I haven't seen in a while—"

"That's a good idea, Moki," she interrupted. "You've been spending so much time with me that your friends must be feeling ignored."

"You really don't mind?"

"No, go on. I'll just read a book or something, okay?"

"Okay," he grinned, but he hesitated for a moment and Ari forced a wide smile on her face as she pulled him to her and kissed his forehead.

"I'll be fine, now go," she ordered and this time he listened.

Ari fell back on her pillows and stared up at the canopy for a moment trying to make sense of the dream Mokuba had interrupted. In a way she was glad he had chosen that moment to wake her. It was getting too intense again, too scary. Every time she reached the point when she realized she could not defeat the darkness on her own, she would wake breathless. One massive building-tall snake she could handle, did handle with a simple piece of glass. But she had miscalculated. There was more than one snake.

The mansion was abnormally quiet with both Seto and Mokuba gone. The staff went about their business as usual, cleaning and what not while paying little mind to Ari. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she barely even noticed when a maid wandered by every now and then.

Ari tried to read as she told Mokuba she would, but title after title failed to keep her content. Tossing a fourth book aside, Ari leaned back in the sofa chair and sighed. A glance at her watch told her it was almost four and she wondered how she managed to squander so much time already when a familiar voice broke through her boredom.

"Excuse me, Ms Ari."

She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at the green-eyed bodyguard who seemed immediately put at ease to see her pleasant mood. "What is it, Sojo?"

"This just came for you," and he handed her a small envelope.

Frowning curiously, Ari tore it open and stared at the scrawled handwriting.

"_I have questions about the holographic program you developed. I know you work for Kaiba, but I want to talk to you, the creator. Please meet me at six thirty, Domino Park. Corrin Abachi."_

_Corrin Abachi? The overseas distributor that Seto was going to demonstrate the program to. Seto didn't want me to meet with him as I recall. _Ari's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"Ms Ari?" Sojo asked hesitantly.

"Is Seto working late today?" she asked him.

"I believe he intends to stay until seven," he replied.

_That will give me enough time to meet with Abachi then. Good._ "I'll need you to take me somewhere around six-thirty, okay?"

He frowned curiously and then nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, Sojo," she waved him off and continued to stare at the note. _So where you do fall in, Mr. Abachi?_

* * *

It didn't show in his face, but Sojo felt his nervous system jitter full of adrenaline. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. A sideways glance at the young woman walking beside him failed to reassure him that nothing was in the air. More was going on in the mind of Ari Nieche then she was letting on. She seemed unnaturally calm after discovering her past history with Matzu Omaka the day before.

As of late her memories had begun returning in rapid succession and while becoming more and more the woman she used to be, there was still something very uncertain remaining. She hadn't told him why she wanted to go to the park at such a late hour when darkness was on the verge of overshadowing them, or why she was following this secluded path and to what destination it would bring her. All of this not knowing was making him nervous.

A figure loomed up ahead on the path and Sojo instinctively reached inside his jacket for his gun. Before his fingers could even graze metal a shot rang out and pain exploded through his body. Eternity froze as he fell and all that rang in his ears was the scream of terror from the angel he had failed to protect.

"Sojo!" Ari cried as she dropped to her knees beside him. "Oh my God," she gasped and instinctively pressed forcefully on the wound oozing blood.

"Don't waste your time," a voice spoke and Ari looked up at the man approaching her, eyeing warily the gun he still held in his hand.

"Abachi?" she asked hesitantly as she raised her gaze to those familiar brown eyes, eyes she had seen on a previous occasion…

"You're the reporter!" she accused as she suddenly stood to face him, fists clenched in rage.

"Reporter, overseas distributor, killer for hire," he shrugged. "I'm a jack of all trades. Don't feel too sorry for your bulldog there. He got off easy after what he did to me. I doubt he felt any pain at all."

Tears threatened to cloud her eyes but Ari forced them back, determined not to lose control.

"You snake!" she hissed.

"No need to get nasty, Ari," he smiled disarmingly. "This is business, nothing personal. Well, not to me anyway. As for the guy who hired me…it's very personal to him."

"Tell me who he is," she snarled.

"You should be more worried about yourself. Or little Mokuba for that matter."

_Mokuba?_ "What have you done with him?" she demanded.

"Nothing, yet. He is somebody else's problem right now. Relax, Ari. It's not like you are the target in all of this. Kaiba is."

He raised his gun and steadied it as he took aim. "Now stand real still and I promise you will barely feel a thing."

Wide-eyed and paralyzed, Ari stared past the barrel into his emotionless eyes. _I was never the target. It was Kaiba…_

Her body jerked violently as the shot rang out and for the longest 3 seconds of her life, she watched as blood oozed from a small black hole in Abachi's forehead. Silent in death, he crumpled to the ground at her feet. The sound of metal clattering to the ground broke her from her shock and she dropped swiftly beside Sojo.

He blinked his bright eyes a few times and then smiled slightly when he focused on her face. "I'm sorry," he gasped weakly.

"Don't speak and don't die on me. Where's your cell? I'll call for help," she said as she searched his jacket and found the phone.

Ari froze suddenly as she heard footsteps sounding on the now night cloaked path.

"You have to get out of here," Sojo ordered.

"I'm not leaving you here like this," Ari argued.

"Take the phone and go. Call Mr. Kaiba—" he coughed roughly and gasped for breath and all the while Ari could hear the running steps coming closer.

"Just don't die on me," she ordered tearfully as she forced herself to stand and run. "Don't you dare die on me, Sojo," she cried as she sprinted through the dark park, her heart in her throat. How was she ever to know? Because it had all been planned and she had been used and deceived. Whoever hired Abachi, Nozaki, whatever his name was wanted revenge plain and simple and anyone who wanted revenge on Seto Kaiba had to take her out of the equation. Could it be that her accident had been a part of it?

Her legs felt weak and she stumbled into the bushes and fell to the ground, desperately trying to catch her breath and listen for a pursuer at the same time. She heard nothing except the sounds of night all around her. Pulling herself up to her knees, she flipped open the phone and dialed 911.

_Please don't die, Sojo._

"My name is Ari Nieche and I'm at Domino Park and someone shot—"

Her words cut off sharply as a strong arm wrapped around her throat and yanked her to her feet. She kicked wildly gasping for breath as the arm continued to constrict tighter and tighter around her throat, slowly crushing her windpipe.

_No, please no. Seto, someone, anyone…please! It can't end like this!_

"Hello? Miss, are you there? Please answer me!" a voice called out to her from the cell on the ground beneath her feet but Ari could not answer as death reached out to her, promising everlasting peace from her suffering once and for all.

* * *

**JadeGoddess-** Her memory was fuzzy at first but after Seto's brief synopsis and assurance that what she remembered was true, Ari now has all of her memories back except for those immediately preceding the accident. Of course, she does not remember putting the Blue Eyes into the holo-duel system or the actual attack of the dragon.


	23. Wrath of White Lightening

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

Wrath of White Lightening

Chapter 23

Seto Kaiba dropped a few papers into his briefcase and snapped it shut. Glancing at the clock, he groaned inwardly to see it was after seven thirty. He hadn't wanted to stay so late, not after what happened the night before. He had been hoping he and Ari could talk things out. All night and all day had been spent considering the conversation they had and he could kick himself several times over. He never should have led her to believe he suspected her of sabotaging her own duel. Despite the facts before him, and they were many and concrete, within his heart he could not believe she would ever do such a thing. That was all the proof he needed.

_Now to get home and tell her that._

Picking up his briefcase, he strode out of his office and was halfway to the elevator when the phone began to ring. His steps hesitated and he scowled fiercely before turning back. Normally he wouldn't have bothered, but his secretary had already left and anyone who called at this hour usually had something of value to say. Besides, it was his personal office line that was ringing. Not many had that number.

"Kaiba," he growled as he picked it up. It took less than a second for all the blood to drain from his face. The briefcase dropped from his fingers and he staggered against the desk.

"Are you sure?" He asked when he found his voice again. "I'll be there in five minutes."

He carefully placed the phone back on its base and turned to the door. Before he could take one step, his legs gave out and he fell to his knees, his head in his hands. _It can't be real! She can't be dead! Not Ari, always laughing and smiling_… His fists clenched in his hair and he began to tremble violently_. Murdered! By who?_

Blue fire flashed as he glared at the floor. "Omaka," he hissed through his teeth. With renewed fury, Kaiba leaped to his feet and ran out of the office, his work and world forgotten.

* * *

"Get those people out of here," Inspector Otsuki ordered one of the policemen nearby. "We don't need them messing up the crime scene."

"Yes, sir."

With a weary sigh, Otsuki turned back to face the grizzly scene that now marred the beauty of Domino Park. It hadn't been his night to work in the first place. A 911 operator had sent a patrol car into the area after receiving a desperate call that was interrupted prematurely. After a thorough search of the park, the source of the call was located and shortly after, he had been called in from home.

Floodlights lit the area for the crime scene investigators and the photographer snapping shots of the bodies. Otsuki watched somewhat distantly and impassively, not permitting himself to feel a single emotion until the job was done.

A slight commotion pulled him from his observation and he glanced over his shoulder at the police line.

"Let him through," Otsuki ordered when he saw the source of the commotion. Begrudgingly, the policemen parted ways and the tall civilian stalked across the grass towards Otsuki. If the inspector had been expecting any expression beyond cold indifference to shadow the face of Kaiba Corp's CEO, he would have been disappointed.

"I'm sorry to be the one who had to tell you," Otsuki said when Kaiba reached him.

"Where is she," he demanded.

"Over here. One of the men with her was taken to the hospital not long after they were found. He still has a chance to live. He carried Kaiba Corp ID so I assume—"

"Sojo," Seto interrupted him. "Her personal bodyguard."

Otsuki nodded. "He was shot through the chest. The other guy took a bullet between the eyes at close range. I was wondering if you could tell me who he was."

Kaiba nodded stiffly and followed Otsuki to the pathway flooded with light. There was blood everywhere and he felt his stomach turn into knots and pummel itself viciously. One body was covered over with a white sheet and his heart stopped, knowing what lay beneath it.

"This man had no ID on him," Otsuki drew his attention to the other corpse.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Corrin Abachi," he growled.

"So you do know him."

"He claimed to be an overseas distributor. I doubt very much that is his true profession."

"Can you think of any reason he might have a grudge against you?"

"He's just a hired dog, Otsuki," Kaiba snapped. "Know anyone else who would want Ari dead?"

Otsuki frowned and turned towards an officer on his right. "Get me a twenty on Joko Omaka and make it quick."

Kaiba's eyes drifted back to the white sheet. Everything inside him felt cold and empty, dulled and numbed except for the anger and hate that lit his eyes.

"I want to see her," he said.

Otsuki stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Okay, but I have to warn you, it's pretty ugly. She took a bullet at close range."

* * *

Her throat burned as if she had swallowed fire and her head throbbed mercilessly. It hurt to move, but the moment she did she realized with immeasurable relief that she was still alive.

_Sojo!_ Her eyes snapped open to darkness and no matter how hard she tried, she could not focus on anything. Could it be she was still asleep, still dreaming, still…dead?

A muffled sound from nearby made her crane her neck but she still could not identify any shapes within the darkness. Swallowing made her eyes water and when she tried to reach up and wipe the tears away she realized she could not move her arms. Concentrating on what held her still, she felt something rough cut into her wrists and understanding came crashing in on her fully.

It was no accident. The Blue Eyes White Dragon had been loaded into the duel system on purpose the day before she was to test it. It would have been a glorious revenge against Seto Kaiba, killing the woman he loved with the Duel Monster he loved. But the blast didn't kill her. So plan B had been put into effect. They tried to get close to her, lure her into a false sense of security until the perfect time to act, when Seto could not help her. But she wasn't dead yet.

_Why am I still alive? Who captured me and why didn't they kill me yet? Was Abachi, Nozaki, whoever he was not supposed to kill me in the first place? He said Mokuba was someone else's problem. That means there is more than one person involved. Wait a sec…how did they get the Blue Eyes into the holo-duel system in the first place and make it look like me?_

Her eyes widened in the darkness. "Traitor," she breathed hoarsely. There was a traitor in Kaiba Corp.

As she spoke, the muffled sound repeated itself and Ari peered into the darkness but still could not see.

"Is someone there?" she whispered tentatively and it sounded again.

_Maybe…_ "Oh please, Mokuba if that is you knock on something twice."

She waited in the darkness with her heart in her throat, listening to a faint shuffling until she heard a quiet tap, tap. Closing her eyes against tears of relief, Ari took a deep shaking breath.

"Okay, just hang on," she whispered as she tested the rope that bound her hands. It was tight and unwilling to give, but Ari refused to give up. Rolling onto her stomach, she managed to shift her knees under her and sat up slowly. She had no idea where she was, but there had to be something she could use to get free.

Shuffling her way back, she banged against something metal and hissed sharply. From the dimensions, she decided it must be a shelf of some sort. Fingering the metal, she winced when a sharp edge sliced through her finger. Ignoring the new pain, she went to work on her bindings and felt them fray and give. Her arms and wrists ached from being tied up like that for so long, but she paid little mind as she untied her ankles and stood shakily in the darkness.

If there were shelves, then this might be a storage closet of some sort, which meant that there should be… Her searching hands stopped as she traced the outline of a light switch. Without hesitation she flicked it and flinched at the sudden change in lighting as the bulb in the ceiling flickered on. Taking a few seconds for her vision to adjust, Ari turned slowly and stared into the wide blue-violet eyes of Mokuba Kaiba.

Unlike her, he was gagged and bound securely to the shelf itself whereas she had been thrown carelessly on the floor just inside the door. Apparently no one expected her to wake so soon.

Ari made short work of Mokuba's restraints and he hugged her fiercely once his arms were free.

"Oh, Ari! I was so scared! He told me they killed you and Seto and—"

"Shh," she warned. "It's okay. I'm all right and I'm sure your brother is fine too."

Mokuba smiled up at her gratefully and she kissed his forehead.

"Now we must be quiet," she said as she glanced around the room for something, anything that she could use as a weapon. Her eyes settled on a mop and she walked over to it and began to unscrew the handle.

"Ari," Mokuba spoke and she looked up at his ghostly pale face. After a moment he pointed and she glanced down at her clothes, still covered in Sojo's blood.

"It's not mine," she assured him. "Now, tell me what happened to you."

"I don't really remember. Washiro was driving me home and I was drinking the juice he brought me and next thing I knew I was here."

Ari's eyes narrowed. _Washiro. I never liked that guy in the first place._ Cocking her head suddenly, she signaled Mokuba to be quiet. Pressing her ear to the door, she confirmed her suspicion. Someone was coming.

Waving Mokuba back, she turned the light off and clenched the mop handle in tense anticipation. When the footsteps stopped outside the door, she sunk to one knee and waited. The handle jiggled slightly and then the door swung open. With a vicious cry, Ari swung and connected solidly. As her victim fell forward she slammed up, breaking the stick under his jaw. He fell into the hallway with a thud and remained unmoving as she leaped over him, ready to deliver another blow with her bare fist if necessary.

"It's Washiro!" Mokuba gasped behind her.

"Come on," she said as she dropped her broken stick and grabbed his arm. It was hard to breath, her throat still feeling bruised. Mokuba's shorter legs were hard put to keep up with her, especially having been tied as he was, so she had to slow her pace. After running for what seemed forever, Ari skidded to a halt at a junction.

"Mokuba, we're at Kaiba Corp, aren't we," she said.

The boy glanced around thoughtfully. "You're right. This must be the customer service offices or something because I barely recognize this floor."

"Come on," Ari said as she turned the corner and ran for the stairs. Just as they reached the door a shot rang out in the hall and Ari instinctively ducked, pulling Mokuba protectively against her.

"Don't move," Washiro ordered as he began to stagger down the hall towards them. Ari met his glare knowing that was the one thing they couldn't afford to do. Tightening her grip on Mokuba, she slammed herself back against the door and tumbled into the stairwell even as another shot rang out.

"You go up and I'll go down," she said as she shoved Mokuba towards the stairs.

"But—"

"I'll draw him away from you so you can call for help," she said. "Now go!"

He didn't argue any further and scrambled up the steps. Ari watched him for a moment longer before heading down. The moment she heard the door slam open she turned and faced the seething bodyguard, one flight of stairs between them.

"I should have killed you when I had the chance," he growled.

"But you didn't, because you can't," she returned, eyes afire. "Your boss wouldn't like that, now would he."

Washiro leaped forward even as Ari spun. He had expected her to run, so her kick caught him completely off guard, connecting solidly with his stomach and slamming him back onto the stairs. By the time he recovered with a curse, she was gone.

* * *

That face… so beautiful and set in permanent peace. Seto touched her cheek tentatively to find it absent of warmth. Everyone had stepped back and given him space, but he barely noticed. There was no one else in the world at that moment, just him and the woman he loved.

_This can't be real. She can't be dead. II would have felt it. I would have known!_

His fingers left her face and trailed down the length of her arm to grasp her limp hand. Wasn't it just a few months ago that he had held her lifeless hand while she lay inert in a hospital bed? No, this could not be happening again.

_How could I have failed you so completely? I swore I would always protect you and now…_ He raised her cold hand to his face and closed his eyes. _Please forgive me._

Gradually, the sounds around him began to register and the secluded world he had dwelled in for a moment began to fade. The scent of blood was strong in his nostrils. Lights flashed with each picture taken by the crime scene photographer, and just a few steps away, Inspector Otsuki talked with the officer he had sent to find out about Joko Omaka.

Slowly he let her hand slip from his and it dropped limply onto his knee. He stared at it laying there, so lifeless, so…

"I've got bad news," Otsuki spoke as he stepped up behind the kneeling CEO. "It would seem Joko Omaka escaped this morning while being transferred."

Kaiba barely heard him as he reclaimed the limp hand from his knee. His fingers traced lazy patterns over the palm, staring but not seeing.

"Mr. Kaiba," Otsuki spoke again and Kaiba flinched. "We need to finish here. I will call you personally if anything new comes up."

"Okay," Seto said numbly as he stood. As if in a fog, he walked through the police line and past the reporters without seeing any of them. There was only her face and her hand, her beautiful, flawless hand…

Kaiba stopped short and his eyes widened with awareness. Flawless. Not one single scar. _It wasn't her!_ His long legs leaped into a flat out run that to any onlooker would have been reckless and directionless. Fire flashed in his eyes, anger and hate smoldering into a determination that could not be broken, would never be broken. In the core of his heart he had known and still knew he had a chance. Ari was still alive…but for how much longer?

* * *

"Come on! Open you stupid door!" Ari swore toggle futilely on the handle. Every door on the way down had been locked and she only hoped that Mokuba was having better luck. She could hear Washiro thundering down ever closer and her only chanced was to get out of the stairwell and lock him in. Forfeiting the door, she hurried down to the next floor and tried that door. Much to her surprise, it opened. Ari stumbled back having pulled on it harder than necessary but recovered quickly. Slipping through the door, she hit the locked and turned to see where she was.

The floor was unusually familiar and Ari stepped forward uncertainly, trying to get her bearings. Further down the hall, pass several doors with keypad locks, she found another set of stairs. Hovering there trying to remember just where in Kaiba Corp she was, she flinched when she heard a loud crash that could only be…

Not waiting to find out, Ari bolted down the steps, throwing open the door at the bottom with unnecessary force. She was halfway into the room before she realized her mistake. The door she had run through was the only way in or out, she realized as the massive room lit itself up. The sound of the door slamming shut spun her around to see her escape had been cut off.

"I should have known," Ari said softly as she took several steps back, putting as much distance between her and him as possible. There was a lot of space to maneuver for the room was bigger than any she had seen before, but the gun in his hand said she would never leave alive.

"You should have died at the hands of your own creation, but you denied me even that," Joko Omaka snarled. "How could I kill you then when you wouldn't have even known why? No, I had to wait for your memory to return, but I enjoyed the frequent in depth reports on your suffering in the mean time. Kaiba didn't know what to do with your empty head, but now that things are finally perfect between you," he broke off in laughter. "I wish I could have seen his face when he found out you were dead."

"You're talking nonsense," she said.

"Am I? How did the Blue Eyes White Dragon get into the system, Ari? You put it there. It was your access code on the records, your face on the cameras…only it wasn't you, was it and it didn't have to be. Just someone who looked like you. And now that she's dead, no one will come looking for you until it is too late." He started stalking towards her and she kept stepping back.

_He made a duplicate of me? He had been planning all of this from day one! _Her heart cringed as she realized the full meaning of Omaka's words. Seto would believe her dead when he saw the duplicate and no one would come for her. This was the enemy she could not defeat alone. This was the part of her dream she never finished…but she would soon see how it ended.

"He will realize that corpse isn't you eventually," Omaka grinned. "With renewed hope he will search and find the real you, dead again of course. My revenge will be complete. I will let Kaiba live in the same misery he left me, once I take everything he loves!"

She wanted to cry but couldn't. Tears would do nothing but cloud her vision and this lunatic didn't deserve her tears.

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly, stopping her retreat.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Matzu had to die."

"He didn't have to die, Ari," he growled softly. "You should have died instead of him."

"It was not my life I killed him for," she said, her eyes hardening with acceptance. "I couldn't let him kill Seto."

"You should have. Do you really think Seto Kaiba is worth all of this?" he asked as he raised his pistol. This time there was no Sojo to interfere.

"On your knees," he ordered and Ari shook her head.

"Never," she growled through clenched teeth.

Omaka squeezed the trigger and Ari flinched as sparks flew just inches from her feet.

"On your knees," he ordered again as he aimed the pistol higher. "And beg me for mercy."

Ari glared at him heatedly even as her body trembled. A cruel smile twisted his lips as he watched her, waiting for his oh so precious victory. Ari longed to wipe that smile off his face, but it disappeared on its own as a soft whirring sound filled the room. A startled cry tore from her as a blast of light exploded above her and she ducked, shielding herself from the intensity.

"What the—"

Ari uncovered her eyes to see what could possibly distract Omaka even for a moment from killing her. The ground beneath her trembled as she followed the man's gaze up, up, up above her own head…

Fierce teeth filled her wide-eyed vision and she fought the urge to step back from the massive beast. The eyes glinted menacingly as it arched its great neck and peered down at her with a look she could only describe as intelligent intention.

_How is this possible? A delayed error in the holo-duel system? Maybe…but this monster has only one master…_

A soft chuckle drew her attention away from the dragon to the man across from her.

"Impressive, Ari. So this is the final product of your holographic program. I would have loved to have heard your screams when you lost to its power. But I grow tired of these delays," he growled as he raised the pistol again and pulled the trigger.

The explosion of the shot was ear-shattering and Ari collapsed to her knees with a desperate cry folding in on herself as if so simple an action might protect her from death. Her ears rang as the echoed died and in the ensuing silence she heard Omaka gasp.

"What the—?"

Ari lifted her head slightly and dared to peak through her wildly strewn hair but saw no sign of Omaka who had been standing right before her just a moment ago. Brushing her hair back, her wide eyes stared at the bluish-white sparkling scaly wall that had suddenly formed between her and her enemy.

Another shot rang out and Ari flinched.

"What is this Ari?" Omaka screamed out to her.

Shakily pushing herself to her feet, Ari looked up at the great dragon crouched above her, its magnificent wings wrapped protectively around her, shielding her completely from Omaka's attacks. Several more shots rang out, but none of them penetrated the dragon's thick scaly skin. Finally she heard the gun click on an empty chamber and Omaka swore violently.

With a vicious snarl, the Blue Eyes White Dragon whipped its wings apart, the force of wind blowing Ari's long hair away from her face and she found herself staring into Omaka's startled eyes. A pile of spent shells lay just a few feet in front of her where the dragon's wings had been.

"What did you do," he growled as he glared at her.

Ari blinked for a moment. "It would seem the boundary between dreams and reality has been erased."

His expression turned thunderous as he pulled a fresh clip from his jacket and snapped it into his pistol. "Why won't you just die!" he screamed as he took aim again.

The ground trembled with the force of the dragon's fearsome roar as it arched itself high and spread its wings full length. Standing at the feet of the furious beast, Ari did not flinch as a supernova of white lightening consumed Joko Omaka.

* * *

A/N- Yes, the cop Otsuki is the same one from The Possession.


	24. A Dragon's Love

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

A Dragon's Love

Chapter 24

_You are safe now._

"Omaka…"

_He can't hurt you now. He will never hurt you again. _

"I don't understand…"

_I will always protect you. I will not let anyone hurt you anymore._

Ari unconsciously turned towards the voice but could not see its owner. That voice, it was so strong and assured.

"You've hurt me before," she whispered.

_I'm sorry. I did not want to._

There was sorrow in that strong voice and Ari felt a tear slide down her cheek. "I believe you."

_I will protect you always, Ari. _

"Why?"

_Because master loves you._

"Ari!"

_He calls for you._

"Ari, can you hear me?"

Fingers brushed softly against her cheek, collecting the tears trailing across her skin. Her head rested comfortably against something firm and warm and a scent she distantly recognized and longed for penetrated her senses.

"Ari."

Pale blue eyes fluttered open to dim blue light and drew into focus on the face that hovered above her.

"Seto," she whispered and he smiled with relief, his blue eyes glimmering as he tenderly stroked her cheek.

"You fainted," he said.

"What happened?"

"I deactivated all of the limiters. The Blue Eyes White Dragon drew so much power that it crashed the entire network and shattered the power grid. It will take at least a year to repair the damage."

"It was real," she whispered. "It was really here, a real Blue Eyes."

"Yes. I'm having a little trouble believing it myself," he admitted.

Ari reached up to touch his face and he leaned into her hand, closing his eyes for a moment to just enjoy her touch.

"He told me about…about the other me. How did you know?"

Seto's eyes opened slowly to stare down at her. "She didn't have the proof."

"What proof?"

Turning his head ever so slight, he kissed the palm of her hand. "Proof that she loved me, would die for me. Her features were flawless and for a moment I believed it was you, but they made a mistake, one only I would notice."

"They forgot the scars."

Seto smiled. "Yes."

"How did you know where to find me?"

"I realized it was Omaka behind everything. There was only one place he would go to finish it. Mokuba called my cell while I was en route."

"Mokuba, is he okay?"

"Yes. He told me about Washiro."

Ari's eyes widened suddenly in panic. "Sojo—"

"He was taken to the ER," Seto assured her. "He still has a chance."

"He saved my life."

"I'll definitely give him a six figure bonus for that," Seto smirked and Ari smiled.

"And an all expenses paid vacation, I think," she said and he chuckled.

"Done. Anything else?"

"No," she murmured as she turned her face into his shirt and he hugged her close. "I have everything I need."

"The police should be getting here soon," he murmured into her hair.

"Don't leave me," she whispered, renewed tears streaming down her face.

"Never," he stated firmly as his arms tightened resolutely around her. "I will protect you always, Ari."

* * *

He didn't believe in Fate, destiny, all those things that Yugi Motou and his groupies always talked about. But in the moment of terror, he decided if Fate was real then she must hate him with a passion. Silently he wondered how his heart could ever survive such a beating, mangled by Fate's perverse pleasure in suffering and pain.

For years, he kept his heart so carefully guarded against letting anyone in and yet Ari succeeded in breaking those walls down without ever intending to. It was then that he realized the pain he so greatly feared came only from losing what he valued most. Not this time. Not this time and never again. He would fail her no longer.

With that firm resolve he found a strength and speed he had experienced only once before when Fate in her cruelty decided to test the love he was so scared of accepting. Test him she might, but he would not be controlled. He was not going to lose Ari now that she had found her way through the darkness back to him.

That woman possessed his senses so completely he could not even think straight once he found her still alive and alone with a man who had but one irreversible intention. Ari would be dead long before he could get halfway down to the duel arena, so he reached for the one thing that never let him down.

If he could get the hologram to attack before Omaka could react, the blast of energy should incapacitate him even as it had done to Ari months before. To ensure this result, Kaiba deactivated all the safety protocols and allowed the hologram to feed on as much power as it wanted from the system. But he hadn't been fast enough to initiate the attack and only heaven heard him scream her name from the isolation of the observation booth above as Omaka pulled the trigger.

It was a dream. It had to be a dream. There was no other logical explanation. But as a man who never believed in other-worldly possibilities, he began to believe in that moment that something more than technology was watching over the woman he loved.

The computers were sparking frantically from the draw of power the Blue Eyes White Dragon pulled, but he hardly seemed to notice. His favored duel monster was crouched protectively over his beloved and not one bullet penetrated the solid form of energy.

Ari never had the intimidating bearing of a duelist but as she stood up beneath one of the most powerful monsters in the game, her long hair blowing from the gust stirred by the Blue Eye's great wings, she was an indomitable spirit. How he loved her so.

Then everything exploded.

Glass shattered in every direction and Kaiba did not escape unscathed, but his injuries were of no importance to him. He had to reach her, hold her, know for certain that she was all right. Only then would he breath again.

For a panicked moment he feared she would not wake. The Blue Eyes White Dragon's attack had been unprecedented. Could it have harmed the one it was meant to protect yet again? She was covered in blood but so warm to the touch, her breath soft and steady and when she stirred in his arms, his heart jolted back to life. The nightmare was over.

Seto Kaiba brushed loose strands of hair away from Ari's delicate features with extraordinary tenderness. In the comfort of his arms she had allowed herself to slip back into a state of unconsciousness so he had carried her up to his office before the police arrived and turned Kaiba Corp headquarters into a three-ring circus. There were going to be a lot of questions when Ari woke up. They would face them together because he had promised he would not leave her and this was one promise he was definitely going to keep. Besides, he loved watching her sleep. Her peace reassured him that everything was going to be all right in the end.

"How's she doing?" Mokuba asked softly to make his presence known.

"She's still sleeping."

Mokuba laid a hand on his big brother's shoulder and offered him the cup of coffee he had voluntarily retrieved.

"Thanks," Seto, murmured as he took the cup and sipped the hot liquid.

Mokuba slumped down onto the floor beside him and leaned his head against the loveseat Ari occupied. "She was amazing, Seto," he murmured as he gazed at her.

"She still is," Seto agreed. "When she wakes, Inspector Otsuki is going to want to talk to all of us."

"I hope you are planning on going to the hospital to get checked out afterwards," Mokuba said as he looked at his brother.

"I'm fine."

"Sure. That's why you keep wincing every time you move your shoulder."

"It's just a scratch, Mokuba."

The younger boy scowled and crossed his arms. "Seto—"

"For once just listen to your brother," Ari murmured and both Kaiba's turned to her in surprise. She cracked one eye open and then closed it. "He's a smart kid."

Seto grimaced to hide a smile that very much wanted to make itself known. "Fine, if it will make you happy."

"Should I get the Inspector?" Mokuba asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," Seto agreed.

"It must be crazy down there," Ari said as she opened her eyes again to meet Kaiba's steady gaze.

"The reporters are going to have a picnic with it, that's for sure," he grumbled as he reached out and laid his hand against her cheek. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Ari closed her hand over his and smiled. "I'm not afraid anymore."

His blue eyes softened. "It's all of you in there now, isn't it."

"I was always here, Seto. Just lost for a while."

With his free hand, he started to play with one of her curly locks of gold as it always held a strange fascination for him, the changing shades so much like her spirit, sometimes gentle, sometimes defiant. But always, always it was her. The pieces might have been broken and scattered, but they were all still there just waiting to be put back together.

"What are you thinking?" she asked suddenly and he lifted his gaze to meet hers. After a silent moment, a mischievous gleam crept into his vibrant eyes.

"For being such a simple woman who never asks for anything, you sure have cost me a heck of a lot of money."

Ari chuckled softly. "That bad?"

"Without the safety protocols and active limiters in effect, the Blue Eyes sucked the generators dry and blew the network to pieces. That much energy wasn't necessary but it was as if the hologram wanted to use as much as it could get…and I let it." His eyes narrowed and darkened to a frightening shade and Ari felt her heart skip a beat. "I wanted to obliterate him," Kaiba growled through clenched teeth.

Tentatively, she reached up to touch his face and draw his attention back to her. "Did you?"

"We'll know soon enough," he said. "Either way, he will never hurt you again."

"He would be a fool to try," she spoke softly, her finger slipping back into his thick brown hair. Pulling him down to her, she captured his lips gently and he readily responded to her advance, wary of the chilled response he had come to expect when his persistence scared her. It didn't come and he let his wall of restraint crumble to her submission, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.

A fleeting fear hovered on the edge of Ari's consciousness, the fear of something exciting yet unknown. She knew she loved this man and she knew she would always be safe with him. His kisses were becoming more insistent, passionate, even primal and suddenly she realized she was free to embrace her future fully now. The haunting memories had been shattered by white lightening.

When she continued to offer no resistance, Seto pulled back to inspect her expression. A strange light flickered in her eyes and she smiled at him shyly as she wound her fingers deeper into his hair.

"I was right," she murmured. "You are a dragon."

Seto grinned roguish as his hand slipped down to rest on the curve of her slender waist. "Took you long enough."

"Hmm," she murmured as she brought him back to her lips and encouraged him to prove just how much of a dragon he could be.

* * *

Inspector Otsuki reviewed his notes as he stood between Mokuba Kaiba and a patrolman on the elevator. This night was getting worse and worse, although he had to admit he was relieved that Ari Nieche was still alive. Such a kind young creature didn't deserve the things that seemed to happen only to her. So far he had two corpses, an unconscious felon, a shot up bodyguard, and of course the glue that held it all together, the Kaiba brothers and Ari Nieche. It was a bad case of déjà vu.

_I seriously should consider retiring_, he decided as the elevator slowed to a stop.

"This way," Mokuba Kaiba waved the two officers after him as he walked down the hallway to his brother's office.

The boy peaked through the slightly ajar door and then suddenly pulled it shut. "Uh…"

Otsuki raised a brow at the boy's reddened cheeks and wide eyes. "Well?"

Mokuba grinned sheepishly. "I think maybe we should give them a minute."

"A minute?"

Mokuba coughed and glanced away. "Or two?"


	25. Forever His

A/N- At last, the final chapter for your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: The OC's in this story are mine and mine alone but I place no claims upon the indomitable Seto Kaiba nor any other character of YuGiOh. Sigh.

Forever His

Chapter 25

_The heart that truly loved never forgets, but as truly loves on to the close, _

_As the sunflower turns on her god, when he sets, the same look which she turned when he rose._

_-Sir Thomas Moore_

Bright green eyes snapped open to stare at the stark white ceiling above_. I'd know that scent anywhere._ With effort, Sojo turned his head and was greeted by the face that hovered on the edge of his consciousness for the last two days.

"You're awake," she spoke the obvious and for no reason other than the fact that she had spoken, he smiled.

"It is good to see you, Miss Ari."

"Those should be my words. You gave me a terrific scare," she chastised gently. "I brought you flowers to cheer up your room since you'll be here for a few more days."

His eyes followed her as she arranged the bouquet of daisies on the table next to him.

"Thank you," he murmured for lack of anything better to say.

"I suppose you would like an update on what has happened?" she said as she returned to her chair.

"They haven't told me much."

"I'm not surprised," she admitted. "The man I was going to meet that night was Corrin Abachi."

"The overseas distributor?"

"Yes, except that was just a front. Had we gotten any closer I think you would have recognized him. He was the same man who claimed to be a reporter, Ito Nozaki."

Sojo's eyes narrowed. _Oh yeah. I had a really bad feeling about that person that night._

"He was hired by Joko Omaka, but I don't think he was suppose to kill me himself," Ari reflected. "It seems that Omaka had a well thought out plan. He even had a woman who had surgery done to look exactly like me. She was the one who put the Blue Eyes into the duel system when I had the accident."

Sojo frowned thoughtfully. "Even still, for her to get your access codes there had to be someone on the inside."

"There was," Ari said solemnly. "It was Washiro."

Had he the strength to, Ari suspected he would have leaped out of bed and hunted the double-crossing creep down that very minute, judging from the fire that flashed in his eyes.

"He'll get what's coming to him, you can be sure of that," Ari reassured him and he nodded though the fire still burned brightly. Sojo had worked closely with the man and Washiro had been assigned to protect Mokuba Kaiba himself. He should have known what was going on, but then even Seto Kaiba had been thoroughly deceived.

"After I left you I managed to call 911," she decided to continue her story. "But while I was making the call, Washiro found me. He took me back to Kaiba Corp headquarters and when I came to, Mokuba was with me."

Ari grinned suddenly, wickedly. "Washiro will be sporting a couple bruises and a broken rib to remember me by for a little while."

Sojo chuckled softly until he coughed from the exertion. It would have been a sight worth seeing, little Ari Nieche beating the spit out of a man twice her size. She could be vicious when cornered. _I'll have to check out those security cameras_, he silently told himself.

Ari helped him sip some water before she continued. "So while I'm running all over Kaiba Corp, Seto was called to the scene of the crime where he found the look-alike me and thought I was dead. I have to admit, Omaka had a wicked plan going, but it wasn't good enough. He forgot that I have scars on my hands from the day Matzu died."

"The look-alike didn't," Sojo understood.

"Exactly. So while Seto is figuring that out, Mokuba was up in his office calling for help and I ended up down in the duel test arena with Omaka."

Ari's eyes glazed over slightly in memory. "He would have had me then. There wasn't anything I could do to stop him and no one else knew where I was…"

"Mr. Kaiba?"

Ari smirked and glanced down at her hands. "Would you believe we found a good use for solid holograms? I don't know how he found us, but he did and he loaded his Blue Eyes into the duel system and removed all of the safety restraints. It blasted Joko Omaka through the wall."

"I would have liked to have seen that," Sojo remarked.

"I'm sure the camera's caught it," Ari replied. "Omaka survived somehow, but he suffered so much brain damage from the collision with the wall that he's catatonic."

"It's over then," Sojo observed and Ari offered a faint smile.

"Yeah, I guess it is. At least, until something else happens. Never a dull moment at Kaiba Corp," she laughed and he realized there was little effort in her gesture. She was a whole person again.

"I am relieved to see that you are safe, Miss Ari," Sojo said.

Ari smiled down at him. "You saved my life, Sojo. I will never forget that."

"It was my job, Miss Ari," he replied with a shrug, which was very hard to do when one had been shot through the chest.

"It was never just a job to you," she said knowingly as she stood and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Get better soon, okay?"

The usually expressionless man was too busy blushing to reply as she left him to stare at a bouquet of happy daisies in her absence.

It was such fun to break through the steel exterior of men like Kaiba and Sojo. Ari knew they were just boys beneath their stony expressions and it was a joy to see that little boy show his flustered face every once in awhile.

Taking a deep breath of the slightly chilled air, Ari turned her face into the sun and smiled peacefully. Yes, everything was going to be okay. Somehow, by some miracle, all of the treasured people in her life had survived Omaka's underhanded attack. Even now as she looked back over the last few months, there was no way of perceiving what Omaka had planned. It had taken them all by complete surprise. Omaka's plan had seemed perfect. How he had managed to fail was still beyond her. By all logic, she should be dead.

Two days after the incident and she still dreamed vividly about it. There was no terror in her dreams anymore. It was more comparable to a feeling of intense power and strength all at the tips of her fingers. The Blue Eyes White Dragon guarded her in that shadowed world and she welcomed its presence. Never would she forget the promise it made her when she lingered on the threshold of dreams and reality.

For Ari Nieche the last two days had been her first taste of freedom. For Seto Kaiba they had been just one continuous headache.

Repairs were now underway on Kaiba Corp and Seto was overseeing them personally which meant long hours at the office, missing dinner with Ari and Mokuba, and little to no sleep at night. Ari's conscience was at rest now, which meant her sleep was peaceful and she was in no need of seeking his protection from nightmares. That left a very restless young man too many hours in the night to berate himself for his ineffectual efforts to protect the woman he loved. For the love of dueling, his little brother's own bodyguard, a man he selected personally, had been bought by the enemy! The danger had never been more than a hair's breath away and he never suspected a thing.

It was bedlam, pure psychotic bedlam in the test arena and Kaiba had to exercise excessive restraint to keep from strangling every idiot that crossed his path. Fixing the eight foot hole in the wall was a small matter compared to fixing the holoduel hardware. The circuits had been fried like a molten box of crayons not to mention the fact that the feedback had toasted several other operating systems in the building. The only thing that survived entirely unscathed was Ari's fiber-optic cable. At this point, its tolerance capacity could only be described as unprecedented for it survived a power surge strong enough to black out the entire tower.

"Why can't all of these morons be as brilliant as her," he growled under his breath as he stalked away from a technician in mid-sentence. Stepping into the observation deck above the arena, Kaiba crossed his arms and glared moodily. The glass had been replaced yesterday, but the massive hole in the room below was still being patched. These were inconsequential repairs compared to the entire reconstruction of the holo-duel system which at present would take thirty-five freaking years—

"Give me that!" he snapped as he wrenched the motherboard out of the startled technician's hands. "Don't you know anything? Get out of here!"

Yes, his patience was all but shredded to pieces_. Insufferable fools!_

Even as he scowled at the motherboard panel isolating necessary repairs with his expert eyes, he felt a cloud of calm penetrate into the realm of tension and hostility he had created about him.

"Is this a bad time?" she spoke softly behind him and he nearly sighed in relief. _At last, someone who has some sense!_

"You're timing is impeccable," he growled as he turned to meet her pacifying gaze. Ari leaned casually against the door and offered him a slight smile to ease the tension she could see creasing his forehead. Surprisingly, it had little effect. His mood was too far gone and it was a small wonder that he was the only one in the observation deck since no one could stand to be near him when his temper brewed so close to the breaking point. He was terrifyingly intimidating, but Ari was too worried about him to back down from anything he might unleash upon her.

"I went to see Sojo," she said as she stepped in and closed the door behind her. The man could stand for some isolation, if only for the benefit of everyone working with him.

Kaiba grunted as he turned to set the motherboard down on a consul.

"He was kind of pale, but he looked good. The doctor said he'll keep him for a few more days."

When she received no reply, Ari shook her head and reached out to touch his shoulder. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Doctor said he'll keep him for a few more days," Kaiba replied automatically as he turned to look at her.

Ari sighed. "Seto, you can't keep this up. Look at you! You're completely exhausted, you haven't gotten any sleep in the last couple of days and you are never around for dinner. At this rate, you won't have any people left to fire because they will all have quit on you."

"Kaiba Corp's stock has already begun to drop, Ari. We need to get this system back on line."

"Which you can't do if you work yourself to death, Seto," she took his face in her hands. "Seto, I love you beyond life, but if you do not come home with me right now and get some rest, I swear I will leave you for the next handsome young blue-eyed multibillionaire that comes my way!"

His dark eyes narrowed slightly at her words as his arm slipped possessively around her waist.

"Is that a threat?" he asked.

"I've already got one lined up," she said, amusement dancing across her eyes.

Kaiba raised a brow. "Oh really? Who?"

Ari laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she smirked up at him.

"Tell me."

"Come home with me," she returned, the defiant gleam in her eyes assuring him she wasn't going to back down.

His lips descended on hers harshly and her startled cry was smothered by the savage intensity of the kiss. Beneath the icy exterior of the ever-expressionless businessman, passionate fire burned and charged by the frustrations he suffered, he spent it the only way he knew how. Ari clung to him helplessly, afraid he might suddenly release her and she would collapse in a melted heap of unsatisfied longing. But the brutal plundering of her mouth gradually became tender and sweet and she knew, through that moment of reckless abandon, he had expelled his hostility and exasperation.

"Thank you," he breathed when he parted from her lips.

"Always glad to be of service," she gasped and he chuckled, the burning fire in his eyes calmed to simmering embers. He idly trailed his fingers across her reddened lips, his thoughts drifting to so many nights before when he feared he might never hold her like this again.

"Will you come back to the mansion now," she asked softly and drew his attention back to her beseeching eyes.

"I can't," he shook his head and her eyes dimmed with disappointment. "But I promise, I will take tomorrow off."

Her eyes brightened hopefully and he could not help a smile. He lived to see her eyes shine like that.

"You promise?"

"As long as I haven't been replaced by then," he said and kissed her quickly before letting her go. Joke she may, but he knew she could not replace him. He would never permit it.

* * *

Ari gently tucked the edges of the coverlet around Mokuba's shoulders and dropped a loving kiss on his forehead. He murmured something that reminded her of the sounds a contented puppy might make in slumber and she smiled as she turned the light out. They had spent most of the evening trying to decide what to do with the time Seto had promised them for the next day. Mokuba had a whole list of ideas, but Ari had to remind him in his exuberance that it wouldn't be fair to wear Seto out since it was his day off after all. She had managed to get Mokuba to agree that his brother should be left to sleep in, after that nothing was set. Mokuba had too many ideas, too many things he wanted to do and still had not settled on one yet.

Ari chuckled softly as she walked back to her room and glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten already and Seto still hadn't come home. Perhaps that was just as well. There was something she needed to talk to him about, and was dreading it. The last time they had discussed this particular subject, well, it wasn't pretty to say the least. It wasn't going to go any better this time around either, she was certain.

Pulling a sweater on over her shirt, Ari pushed open the glass doors in her room and stepped out onto the balcony. Spring would be coming soon, finally an end to the long dark winter that would forever remind her of the long dark world she had suffered through. She was free now, of the guilt and the fear. But what was to prevent her life from slipping back into that hapless routine of work and solitude?

Glancing up at the full moon that glowed above her, Ari reached for the pendant around her throat and wondered just how much was really going to change. Kaiba was working himself to the bone to repair the damage done to Kaiba Corp and he would not rest until it was finished. She had put him through so much, so much pain and frustration from the very start. Yes, she loved him more than her own life. She would bear this proof on her hands for the rest of her days. In turn his love for her had broken the boundaries of dreams and reality at the risk of everything he had worked his whole life for. He knew the risks of running her holo-duel program without restraints and they had been inconsequential. As promised, he had protected her in his own way.

Their relationship had been a volatile one from the start, and seemingly destined to end in the death of one or both of them. Would it continue this way? Would they ever find peace?

"Is Mokuba in bed?"

Ari kept her gaze out over the gardens beneath her, wondering silently if she had flinched when he spoke for she had never even heard his steps.

"Yes."

Strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her snuggly back against him, his head dropping to rest against hers. She smiled slightly when she felt him take a deep breath of her vanilla scent.

"What are you thinking about," he murmured softly.

"We need to talk," she said hesitantly after a moment and immediately he stiffened.

"Talk?" he echoed suspiciously and she could hear the frown in his voice. "You're thinking of moving back to your apartment, aren't you?"

_How does he do that?_

"Yes."

She tensed as she awaited the explosion that never came.

"Why?" he asked instead.

"I have my memories back, Omaka is no longer a threat…" _all of my previous reasons for staying are gone._

Seto's arms tightened around her as if she might leap over the balcony that very moment and make a break for the gate. "I think you should stay just a little longer."

"A little longer?" she murmured. "How much longer is a little longer?"

Seto gently grasped her left wrist and freed her hand from where it had been tucked securely beneath her crossed arms. And as she watched, he plucked a star from the sky and slid it onto her finger.

"Let's start with forever," he whispered, "and work from there."

Ari blinked in stunned silence at the brilliant diamond hugging her finger as if it had been created in that very moment for her alone. It was a seal, a promise, and his means to keep her beside him always. Gentle fingers gripped her chin and guided her gaze up towards him. Her pale eyes glittered with fresh tears and even as they began to trail down her cheek, he claimed her lips for his own.

His heart faltered at the possibility that she might refuse him, but he simply could not allow her. He would not accept no for an answer and he would spend all night convincing her of this if necessary. But it might not prove necessary, he realized as she turned into his embrace and returned his kiss with equal longing. Her cool fingers trailed up the sides of his face to curl in his thick hair and he clutched her slim body tightly against him. Even in darkness, her heart had always known him.

Ari pulled away and he gazed at her kindly as he wiped at the glistening streaks her tears had left. There had been so much pain for the both of them. Tenderly he kissed her damp cheeks and she closed her eyes, sniffling softly.

"I suppose," she murmured.

"Yes?"

Pale jeweled eyes opened to lock with cerulean fire. "I suppose forever is a good place to start."

He grinned roguishly as he tangled his fingers in her long hair and tilted her head back. "Now you see? I always get what I want."

Her eyes immediately flashed in challenge and he hungrily captured her lips to taste every bit of her burning defiance. They would have the rest of their lives to battle over the matter of possession but beyond doubt he knew, this divine creature of his obsession was, at last, eternally his to keep.

**_-End-_**

* * *

**Princess Shadowcat- **Kaiba and Ari were only kissing, but you can imagine how that might embarrass a thirteen year old boy when he's got two cops with him.

I would like to send a special thank you to everyone who faithfully reviewed throughout the duration of The Possession and The Obsession, to everyone who managed to drag themselves out of the shadows just to say that they were enjoying the fics, and to all of the chibi shy shadow readers who were unable to review for whatever reason but still enjoyed reading the stories. I am here for your enjoyment…and mine but who says it can't be a give and take relationship, eh?

My next fanfiction will be a Rurouni Kenshin fic and I will begin posting within the week. Till then, take care!

_-Lanse_


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